Saloria
by Lana Ves
Summary: Acheron is the son of a god, born on earth and severely mistreated. Saloria is an eternal soul, also born on earth and cursed with suffering. They meet 9000 BCE and through betrayal and pain, find a love that will last forever. better summary inside
1. Prologue

Summary: Acheron is the son of the Atlantean goddess of destruction. In an attempt to save his life, she sends him to earth to be born a prince. But he is treated like a curse from birth because of his eyes and the fortune another goddess said upon his birth; he will be the harbringer. Unable to kill the boy for the sake of the perfect twin, the king Acheron is born to treats him like dirt until his seventh year, then sells him to an Uncle and is trained to be the best prostitute in the world. Years of pain and humiliation follow. Saloria is an Eternal Soul, a creature created to destroy unruly gods. She will have countless lifetimes, but in her first, she is cheated. Born to a King, her beauty drives all insane with wanting, despite being blind from birth. She, too, is treated like a whore. They meet 11000 years ago and through betrayal and pain, find a love that will last forever.

Disclaimer: Everthing regarding Dark Hunters, the concepts of the gods, Daimons and so forth are by Sherrilyn Kenyon and I do not own them at all. I only own the idea of Saloria, who I came up with before I ever read the book, and Eternal Souls. Any obvious changes are my own. You get the gist of it.

Warning: Rape, murder, torture, pain, angst, crazy gods, and later in the story; true love. Dont like any of the aforementioned, dont read. Those who flame me will have the gods' wrath set upon them.

AN: OK, so, I had only read the first few chapters (up to the point Ryssa's diary stopped, I think), so I had NO idea what Soteria was like, or that the name I had created for Acheron's love in the end would be so close to the author's; talk about coincidence! But yeah. Basically, Acheron is my favorite person/book. I just HAD to make someone perfect for him; someone who had gone through what he'd gone through so that she could understand him totally. Basically, this story is mainly about Saloria, since you can read what happened to Acheron in the book so named, but I will give basic ideas for those of you who haven't read it yet (READ IT NOW!!!). This is my first fic, so please be kind. Well, anyway... I now present to you wonderful readers, a story of woe and joy, betrayal and trust, pain and pleasure, despair and hope, and most of all, love.

Saloria

An Eternal-Soul novel

by Lana Ves

Prologue

_Existance. That is all most crave for. Even if they curse it, even if they hate it, all crave to exist. Everyone is afraid of the Nothingness, even the gods and those who govern the gods. But even if a god was to die, the god would still exist in some way. Everything has a soul, everything will continue to exist forever. Unless one is killed by an Eternal Soul._

_Created seperately from the gods of old, created differently than Mankind, Eternal Souls hunt those with powers beyond human understanding that break the laws of Nature, and uterly destroy them. The Eternal Souls are not affected by the powers of gods, but they can absorb the powers so that Nature can continue to exist normally. For if one kills a god, the power goes free, and the think the god was associated with will also perish. They are incapable of dying, even when the body is destroyed; they will return with the next century. Never is the universe without an Eternal Soul lurking in the shadows, waiting. They will always return. _

_Those who know of Eternal Souls quake in fear of them, for they are the ultimate assasins. Those who dont know will learn if they ever stray from their path. Eternal Souls are pitiless, emotionless. They keep the balance and the peace. So be wary, ye gods that wish for more than thine lot; the Godslayers are watching, and are more cruel than thou._


	2. Chapter 1: Birth

Saloria

An Eternal Soul Story

by Lana Ves

Chapter 1: Birth

9548 BC

The boy was born silently, having no need to scream like the others. He was just content to be alive and in warm hands. Soon, another boy followed the first. Identical twin boys, beautiful and so far perfect. Both births went smoothly with no problems at all. "By sweet Artamis's hand, Aara, you've done me proud!" (13) the father, the King of Didymos cries in jubilation as the mother cuddles the second born to her breast as the eldest is cleaned.

The sister, Ryssa, at age seven, was eager to see the first, and gazed upon him with the pure love and adoration only children can have. It was a quiant sight, one that poets could write about. But all good things must come to an end.

"Zeus have mercy! The eldest is malformed, Majesties!" (14) the second midwife exclaimed, carrying the boy to his mother.

"It cannot be! He is blind!" the queen sobbed.

"Not so. He is not blind, your Majesties, but is born of the gods." said the eldest wisewoman from her corner. The king rounded on his wife.

"You have been unfaithful! It must be! We just witnessed the child come from you!" he roared. Aara pleaded innocence, but her incenced husband would hear none of it. The eldest twin began to cry, pleading for someone to hold him in warm arms and give him a loving smile. No one did, despite Ryssa's attempts to do so. She did not understand what was the matter with the adults. The baby look perfect to her.

"This baby will be the destroyer. None, not even the gods, will be safe from his wrath." the wisewoman said, her youthful appearance shadowed by her ancient eyes.

"Then kill him now! I will not raise a monster!" the king shouted, but the wisewoman stopped the guard that moved to follow his king's will.

"No! The twins' life forces are tied together. You kill the eldest, you kill the younger. You must raise the eldest to manhood; that is the will of the gods." (15) the wisewoman took the baby from the midwife and held it out to the mother. The queen shrank away from it. "It is yours." the wisewoman hissed with a frown.

"No, that thing is not mine. I will not suckle it, touch it, nor love it! Remove it from my sight!" the queen shrieked. The boy began to wail, the sound piercing in the tense silence.

"But Mama..!" Ryssa exclaimed, reaching out for the boy. Why was everyone being cruel to the child? It was perfect, more beautiful than she! He had done nothing but be born, yet everyone hated him. Why?

"That child is no son of mine!" (15) the king roared when the wisewoman held the baby to him. The wisewoman nodded and held the baby to be displayed to the whole room.

"Then he will be called Acheron for the River of Woe. Like the river of the Underworld, his journy will be dark, long, and enduring. He will be able to give life and take it. He will walk through his life alone and abandoned – ever seeking kindness and ever finding cruelty." the wisewoman prophesised. She looked down at the babe and spoke the haunting truth; "May the gods have mercy on you, little one. No one else will." (16) Acheron's wails could be heard hours later as he lay abandoned in his crib, alone.

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September 27th, 9546 BC

A woman's screams of agony could be heard from the distant courtyards of the Grand Palace in Eridu, Sumer. Servants rushed around, most with towels and hot water, all heading toward the royal chambers. Priests and doctors were summoned to the queen's room, which was already crowded with the numerous servants, guards, priests and doctors, not to mention the king, Salgalu, and his six sons. Another scream tore from the frail woman's body as the child she was trying to bear struggled to get out.

"Stay with us, your majesty!" the head midwife ordered when the woman looked as if she'd pass out. The queen moaned loudly, but pushed with all her might until the head of the babe could be seen.

"Alin, my sweet, keep up your strength!" the king murmured to his wife. The woman panted heavily, and then shrieked.

"She comes to fast!" Alin sobbed, gathering her strength for one more push. Now the shoulders could be seen. "Get her OUT!" the queen bellowed, nearly passing out, and the midwife carefully took hold of the infant's struggling shoulders and hauled her out.

"A girl, Majesties." The midwife announced, handing the girl to one of the many assistants to be cleaned. The child squalled in a way that sounded more like laughter than a newborn babe. Alin smiled.

"Finally, a girl!" the woman sighed, but then a tremor shook her body and she screamed once more as blood poured from her in great waves. Doctors and priests swarmed around in an attempt to save the queen, but it was too late. "Let me hold her." Alin begged weakly, and her youngest child was handed to her. She hugged the babe, and stroked her silky black hair. "My Saloria. My sweet, beautiful, little Saloria." The baby opened her eyes, and her mother gasped.

"_Ama_…" the child murmured, then she began to cry in earnest. The midwife took her away, even as Alin reached out to get her back.

"No, no! My baby! Let me hold my baby while I die!" There was a collective gasp from the priests.

"You must not curse her, Majesty!" the head-priest snarled. "Your death might bring hers!" The collective sobs of the mother and her daughter broke the hearts of many, but all knew that a dying mother should not hold her baby so soon after birth.

"Salgalu, you take care of her." Alin whispered, and, taking a deep breath, breathed her last. Moans of mourning were taken up, and the king took hold of his newborn.

"This is Saloria, the last child of Queen Alin and King Salgalu, Princess of Eridu of Sumer. May the gods favor her over her mother." He said, holding the child up into the air. Everyone in the room knelt where they stood in respect to their king's words, then, after a solemn moment, all bustled about to clean the body. Saloria was retrieved by the midwife and wrapped in clothes. The midwife wiped the tears that clung to the girl's cheeks. The infant opened her eyes, and the midwife shrieked.

"She is malformed, Majesty!" the old woman cried. The king, who had been heading out the door with his six sons in tow, whirled around and stormed to the midwife's side.

"How so?" he asked, then gasped when he saw the girl's eyes. The left was like burnished gold, the right a polished emerald, and there was no pupil in either. "She is bewitched!" the king roared, and was going to kill the child when the High Priest took hold of his hand.

"No! You already claimed her as yours. She is not cursed! Look at the colors, my King! She is a godsend! Enki has blessed her! Saloria, Princess of Eridu, must live!" The child stared blankly at the ceiling and reached out her tiny hands toward her father. Something came over him then, and he took hold of the baby in a protective embrace.

"Know, all of you, that this child is to be treated like the late Queen. Her word is law. Any who dare to contradict this will know my wrath, and that of the great god Enki." Salgalu proclaimed, and once again, everyone knelt in reverence to his will.

Saloria listened with newborn curiosity, the world as black as the womb. Her father's words rang in her head, but made no sense to her. The loss of her mother's warmth haunted her still, but she was just as content to be in the warm embrace of someone that loved her. She smiled, and quickly fell asleep. Saloria was safe, and would be so for a while.

Disclaimer: do not own at all. I will borrow quotes from the book, which I will properly cite later, just to be more legal... Just remember that for the rest of the chapters, OK? Just so I don't have to keep writing it...

AN: sorry that the first part was so short. I hope you enjoyed it, though. And here is the first chapter! I know, it is short too. *crosses fingers* hope you liked! I'll get the next parts up ASAP!

Here are some translation notes in actual Sumerian (whoo me!):

**lugal** _= king, master, lord. _**ses** _= brother. _**ama** _= mother. _**nin** _= sister; queen, lady. _**dumu** _= child; son._


	3. Chapter 2: Sad Song

Saloria

An Eternal Soul Story

By Lana Ves

Chapter 2: Sad Song

September 24th, 9541 BC

Saloria absently strummed her lyre as she listened to the voices and movements of those outside the grand hall. She cocked her head curiously at the angry words of her eldest brothers as they passed the doors; one now 14 while the other was nearly 18. They were arguing about fighting techniques.

The girl smiled, an expression of joy her body knew rather than her eyes, which were covered with an elaborately embroidered piece of gold silk. The scarf depicted a garland of lilies, a flower known far to the west. They were her favorite flower. She loved the soft petals and the delicate smell that reminded her of her mother. The smile faded.

Mother; a vaguely remembered sensation of warmth and pure love. The memory brought so much sorrow.

"Saloria! Saloria, look, I have a present for you!" said the youngest of her brothers, Anlu, age 8. Saloria twisted around on her stool so she was facing his general direction.

"A present!" she cried happily. "But my birthday isn't for another three days, Anlu _ses_!"

"I don't care! I need to give it to you now! You will be going away soon to that school father will send you to in Assur, and I want to see your reaction." The girl stood in four-year-old glee and clapped her hands.

"What is it?" she inquired, not moving once standing. She did not know the layout of the hall so well, and she had gotten lost enough times to know when to stay put. Anlu reached her and took her hand. He placed a fairly large, plain box into it. Saloria frowned in her curiosity.

"Just open it!" the boy laughed. Saloria smiled and took the lid off. Reaching inside, she felt something made of silk. Upon taking it out, she realized, from the shape and size, it was a scarf with a matching bag, and below the two items was a lily.

"What color is it?" she asked, her excitement making her jump up and down. She loved scarves, as long as she didn't have to wear them around her eyes. Saloria hoped this scarf matched the one on her eyes so she could wear it around her neck. Anlu laughed.

"It's deep blue, like the ocean, with white lilies and green vines embroidered on both the bag and the scarf. Do you like it?" he asked. Saloria beamed at him.

"Does it match my eye scarf?" she asked.

"Of course!" Anlu replied, ruffling her hair. "Well?"

"I love it!" she cried, and lunged toward him for a hug. Her coordination was only a little off; she got his arm rather than his waist, but Anlu, being the responsible elder brother he was, repositioned himself and gave her a hug.

"Happy fifth birthday, Saloria _nin_."

_I have a good family_, Saloria thought, and her soul seemed to settle. The feeling was very strange, so she ignored it like any child would. She released her _Ses _and found the box after a moment or two, then repackaged her gifts. "Anlu _ses_, will you take me to my rooms?" Saloria asked, taking his hand. The boy jutted out his chest and led her away proudly.

Saloria was the treasure of Eridu. All who came into her presence was awed, despite her young age. Already she was more beautiful than her deceased mother, her features more delicate, her hair silkier and blacker, and her skin paler and softer. Many loved her beauty, and those who knew her loved her for her sweetness and keen intelligence that was far beyond her years. The child already knew how to play the lyre perfectly, and could speak Sumerian like an elder. She was learning Atlantean, and her affinity for languages was apparent even with the few words she knew. Her hand in marriage had been sought after by many a noble, both native and foreign, but her father guarded her with vicious dedication.

So to be seen with her was an honor for any who had the chance. Servants were only allowed to care for her things, never for her. Ladies in waiting would bathe her and dress her. Wise men would teach her the things she could learn. Life for Saloria was easy and luxurious. She was the God blessed, after all, despite her blindness.

Anlu left her at her door, and Saloria snuck in past her ladies in waiting to her main chamber. She did not want to bathe or dress for supper, so she would hide in here until the time came she could escape out to the courtyard on her own. The girl got down on her stomach and slid herself under the bed. Saloria had a driving need to explore the world outside her safe, stifling palace walls, and the closest she ever came was when they visited the temple of the god Enki on the rare festival.

Otherwise, she was stuck to the broad expanses of the palace gardens, where she had gotten lost quite a number of times. The girl was learning quickly how to find her way using scent, sound and feel, but she had not come anywhere close to perfecting it yet. After all, she was only five-years-minus-three-days old. Saloria smiled at the thought and once she heard the Ladies leave for their meal, she gathered her walking stick, which was used for finding anything that might trip her. She was about to climb out the window when her father walked in.

"Saloria _dumu_, why do you not join us for supper?" he asked, his voice worried. Saloria frowned when she caught a whiff of his scent. He smelled like usual, with a bit more wine than normal, but there was another scent on him she had rarely encountered before, so she could not identify it.

"Father, I am not hungry, and did not feel like changing." The girl sighed, climbing down from the windowsill. She heard her father take in a breath, felt him tense. He was angry, and she did not know why.

"Saloria, you will join us for supper. It is nearly your fifth birthday; do you not want to spend the last few days of your time here with your family?" he asked, anger and hurt lacing his voice. Saloria dropped her head in guilt. She had forgotten already she was to leave for Assur the day after her birthday party. The girl grimaced.

"Must you send me away?" she asked.

"What you need to learn is best taught in Assur. They have the best of the best there. You will enjoy it. Not only that, but you will get to explore a new place!" her father said, his voice laced with some unfamiliar emotion. Saloria nodded, the prospect thrilling her, but her father was frightening her, and she did not know why. She sensed her father's sudden amusement.

"Come, we must dine. Bring your lyre; I want to hear you play." Without washing or changing, Saloria was dragged to dinner. It was a grand affair, something Saloria hated. Oh, the smells were wonderful, as well as the tastes, but there were so many people she had a hard time finding her way anywhere. Finally, the end of dinner came and everyone calmed down.

"Saloria, play your lyre!" Anlu shouted from across the room. The call was taken up until Saloria was quite overwhelmed.

"Well, I do have something new…" she started. A cheer nearly deafened her, and she blushed. She did not mind attention, just the number of people. A servant handed her the instrument, and she began to play a sad tune. After a moment or two of familiarizing herself with the sound, she sang the first words that came to her head.

"_Across deserts, oceans, seas; A land created for the most beautiful._

_Island of beauty and delights; Atlantis holds many secrets._

_In a palace, so shiny and new; A boy cries for his mother_

'_Mama, Mama, save me from this; why does no one hear me?'_

_Pain is all this small boy knows; oh, the cruelty of life._

_Little boy, don't cry I'm here; I'll come for you one day_

_To save you from your nightmare; I'll fight the whole world. _

_Don't give up hope, little boy; Named for the River of Woe."_

Saloria had to stop singing her song because her throat closed from a sob that threatened to escape. She wiped tears from her cheeks with a small sniffle. The hall was silent.

"Forgive the melancholy mood of my sister. That was sudden. She must be worried about her upcoming travels to Assur. Isn't that so, Saloria?" the eldest son said, Sallu. Saloria nodded, knowing it was not the whole truth. The guests slowly began to clap, the applause hesitant, as if they didn't know if they should or not. Saloria was suddenly very tired and she stood up. Sallu took hold of her hand and led her to her room, followed by the rest of their siblings. The king stayed behind to finish the evening rituals.

"What's wrong, Saloria _nin_?" Anlu asked once they were out of the hall and near her chambers. Saloria rarely cried for any reason, let alone for unknown reasons.

"The song made me sad." Saloria replied as she entered her rooms. All men but the King were forbidden to enter her rooms, so her brothers stayed behind. Saloria was relieved at not having to talk to them anymore, and she climbed, fully clothed, into her bed. Her brothers all wished her goodnight through the doors, and she listened to them leave, whispering amongst themselves. Saloria had no desire to hear what they said.

Saloria lay in bed for a long time, eventually untying the scarf from around her eyes to stare blindly up at the ceiling. Who was that boy she sang of? It was as if he was crying out to her. But that was silly! Only gods had powers, and she knew deep down that she had nothing to do with the gods, which is why she hated being called the Godsend.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that when her father took hold of her shoulder, Saloria cried out and pulled away; she had not sensed him at all. Even asleep, she would have awakened when someone entered her room.

"Forgive me, Father, you startled me." She said quickly. Saloria hated when people snuck up on her. Her father sat beside her on the bed.

"Please, my little beauty, play a song just for me." the man begged, playing with a lock of the child's hair.

"But Father, I am tired." she complained. Salgalu sighed.

"You would refuse to play for you father?" he asked. Saloria's senses detected the same feelings she had been feeling from him before dinner, and she nodded. She thought he might be afraid of something. But what would her great, powerful father be afraid of?

"Would you hand me my lyre?" she asked. Saloria felt her father move away from the bed and return, placing the instrument into her hands. He sat once again on the bed beside her and returned to playing with her hair.

Ignoring the potential distraction, Saloria pulled the harp closer to her and began to pluck purposefully at the strings, creating a childishly beautiful song that could lift even the darkest spirits. It was something she had learned, not written, so it did not reflect her melancholy mood. The king hummed in pleasure at the sound, then grunted sadly when the song ended. "Come, child, I have something to tell you." her father said, an odd note in his voice. Saloria frowned at the sound, but was always happy to please her father.

"What is it?" she asked, the child she was only vaguely suspicious. She felt her father shift and she felt his breath on her face. It smelled of wine, and the girl wrinkled her nose in faint disgust, but her excitement refused to be deterred, even by suspicion. "Will you finally let me learn to fight like my brothers? What about a way to..." she was silenced with a large finger placed over her mouth.

"No, no, none of that," her father chuckled. "Come with me, and I will show you." the girl didn't bother pointing out he could show her nothing, and gave him her hand so she could be led away. "Put this on." the king said, handing her an expanse of fabric. Salgalu helped wrap the thing around his daughter, and Saloria discovered it was a cloak. Her father wrapped her eye scarf around her head, and off they went. They walked for a long time in the palace, but in a direction Saloria had never gone before.

There was only the sound of their footsteps and the crickets in the distance. Saloria could feel the chill of darkness on her cheeks and smelled the remnants of the day's smells; roasted meats, rotting vegetables, sweat, dung, metals, and on and on. So many smells Saloria could not identify, and that scared her.

"Father, where are we going?" she asked after a while. She really was getting very tired at this point.

"I am taking you to the temple of Enki. We are to pray for a safe journey for you."

"Can we not do that in the morning?" Saloria complained. The temple was on the other side of the palace complex, a long distance to go. She had never walked there, which is why the way was different. Her senses were growing dull. Her father chuckled.

"Aye, we could, but then we'd have to pretend to be all pomp and circumstance for the benefit of the people. This is just us, and our god." Salgalu squeezed his daughter's tiny fingers with his own in reassurance. Saloria nodded her understanding. Whenever the royal family went to the temple, it became a grand affair to the point that the royals did not have a chance to do their own, heartfelt praying. Saloria, though, never had any wishes that she wanted granted.

They entered the temple through the back. The priests were all absent.

"Kneel beside me, Saloria." Salgalu whispered. She knelt where she stood and clasped her hands. "Now, ask for a safe journey. Invoke the name of your god." Saloria rolled her eyes. She knew how to pray to a god; she just never did.

"Enki," _Apolostos…_ she thought, and was startled by the randomness of the name she had never heard before It was foreign. "Enki, I wish for a safe journey." Saloria whispered, then touched her head to the cold marble. Suddenly, a feeling of dread overtook her. The feeling literally paralyzed her for a moment until she regained her will. She jumped up and reached out for her father. "Papa, papa, don't make me go to Assur!" she begged, her title for her father slipping to the one she hadn't used since she was three in her panic. "Don't send me away!" Her father took her hands into his and held them to his chest. Even while he knelt, she only reached his collarbone.

"You must go, child. There are some things that you will not understand that are going on, and you must go. Your brothers and I will accompany you. Fear not, child."

_You will be the Destruction of Sumer. Leave your home, and all your family will die. The kingdom will fall._

"Papa, Father, please, I must stay here!" Saloria cried, her voice echoing madly off the marble walls. The sound increased so that she shouted out in pain and covered her ears. Still, the sound permeated her mind, as well as the silent words. The voice was neither male or female, young nor old. It was an ageless voice

_They will die, Saloria, if you leave. _

"No! Papa! Anlu!"

"Come, child, do not worry. You will be safe. We will protect you. You are the Godsend, child, my little lily." Salgalu wrapped his arms around Saloria and held her tightly. "Nothing bad will happen." Saloria struggled. What could she say to convince her father? All she could do was scream, the foreign voice whispering in her mind even as the echoes of her screams tore at her ears. Eventually, the priests rushed in at the noise.

"Your majesty!" the head priest exclaimed upon realizing who was in the hall. "What is the matter?"

"Saloria is having a fit! She began to panic after she prayed to the god." Her father panted, holding his child with all his might, careful not to harm her. The head priest hid a sneer.

"If women could predict the future, we would have priestess." The old man said. "She must be afraid to leave her family. Typical in a woman-child." Salgalu nodded in agreement.

"Do you have something to calm her?" the king asked. A lesser priest ran off, and quickly returned with a vial of some clear potion. The head priest took the vial from the boy and stormed toward the still screaming princess. He took hold of her face and poured the liquid into her mouth. Saloria choked, swallowed, and with a gasp, fell still.

A weight fell upon her mind, and she felt slow and sick.

"Pa…pa?" she asked, her voice slurred. She could only feel vague sensations of cloth on her skin and her father's warmth, her hands, tongue, and face numb.

"What is this?" Salgalu roared, but the sound came to her distorted, like she was underwater.

"It is merely a sleeping drought." The head priest said calmly. Saloria tried hard to fight against the pull, but she was just a little girl, and the dosage was one for at least two full grown men. How she knew this, Saloria had no clue, but she did. Just like she knew she could not go to Assur.

"Don't…go…" she whispered, then nothingness greeted her.

AN: Assur is 400 miles (~640 km) north of Eridu in Sumer. The voice she heard was NOT the god Enki.

But I decided that I won't tell Acheron's story. Important; it is exactly the same as in the book up to the point it is obviously not. It will probably be where Ryssa learns she is to marry Apollo. Sorry for those of you who don't know what is going on. I'll talk about it later, as part of the story of them being together rather than a whole lot on Ash. Otherwise, this story will take MUCH longer than I have time to write it. Again, sorry. But yeah... sorry this is short; it was going to be longer, but i decided i needed to update now rather than later. this chapter was going to be like, 30 pages long otherwise.... hmm... I'll update soon, worry not. But i do have classes to attend, papers to write... you get the drill. Oh, and REVIEW, please!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Reviews=fuel for the muses. thanks!


	4. Chapter 3: Beginning

**_Warning!_ This chapter is rather violent and gory in the last few pages. Just a caution! I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING REGARDING THE DARK HUNTERS.  
**

Saloria

An Eternal Soul Story

by Lana Ves

Chapter 3: Beginning

_There was a strong wind beating against her, nearly ripping through her slight body. It struck her blow after blow, and she could dodge nothing. An exceptionally large gust finally brought her to the ground, crying from pain and fear._

"_Everything is going to change for you, little one. The lifestyle you now live is disappearing, and you'll never get it back." a sexless voice whispered through the wind. The voice was strong, almost comforting despite the words. It was as if the voice cared what happened, but could not stop it._

"_Why? What have I done? I've been a good girl!" she cried, reaching out blindly for the figure, but the body the voice belonged to pulled away so only her fingertips brushed against naked skin. It was soft, warm skin. Familiar, but she knew she'd never sensed this person before._

"_They are going to die, young Soul, and your fate will be decided. Remember, we choose our paths, not the gods we hunt. Never forget your duty, young Soul. Let your destiny form you, let your pain and hate and despair create the greatest Eternal Soul known to the universe. Find your way. I pray you have strength, Saloria the Blind Soul, for you will need it. Fin it within yourself to remain alive as long as you can in this life. Fight with every ounce of determination you possess. May the Universe be merciful, for you will not be."_

"_But I don't want things to change! I'm _happy_ the way I am! I don't want to hate anyone or anything! Please! Hello? Wait! Don't leave me--!"_

_----------------------------------------------_

Saloria woke to the sound of hooves on a hard surface and the creaking of wheels. Cloth rustled around her, and she heard the soft breathing of two sleeping bodies. She smelled dust, horses, and human sweat. The princess sat upright in a panic. They were traveling.

"No!" she cried, scrambling over the cushions of her seat and onto the lap of one of her brothers. It smelled like Anlu, and her guess was confirmed when she accidentally kneed him in the stomach and he cursed in pain. "No, no! I don't want to go!" she yelled, searching desperately for the door. Hands took hold of her and held her.

"Saloria, Saloria, calm down!" Anlu cried, worry obvious in his tone. Saloria began to cry.

"But if I go, our family will die!" she sobbed, hiding her face on the first shoulder she came upon. It smelled like Tanlu, the second youngest boy.

"We will still be a family, Saloria, even if we aren't together." Tanlu said, caressing the girl's hair to comfort her, but she wouldn't be comforted. But after a while, Saloria calmed down. "Where are the others?" she asked.

"They are outside acting like guards." Anlu explained. "We're too young to do that, so we're in here with you. We are in a luggage cart." Saloria frowned.

"Why?"

The boys shrugged. "No clue." they said together.

"Why are we all going?" Saloria asked, picking herself up so she was sitting on her own. She still sensed it when Tanlu shrugged.

"Ask Father," was the only reply. Saloria still felt the stirrings of panic in her stomach. So this is what fear smelled like. That was the smell her father had been exuding…how many nights ago?

"What day is it?" Saloria asked, irrational fear beginning to consume her. She was only five, but felt fear like one much older.

"Three days since you fell into that panic," Tanlu replied. He was interrupted by Anlu.

"Which was scary. The priests told us of it. It was like you were possessed!"

"It's the day after your birthday." Tanlu said forcefully, and Saloria could tell from the atmosphere in the cart that Tanlu was glaring at their brother. She smiled. The two youngest boys were always fighting over everything. Saloria smiled, but it faded.

What if she lost her brothers and father like she lost her mother? Death was not something Saloria completely understood, even with her extraordinary intelligence. Animals sacrifices died, but those were necessary. The feeling she got from the potential death of her family struck her with an almost physical blow of fear. She did not want to lose them like she had her mother. Another tear slipped down her cheeks. She could hear Tanlu open his mouth as if to say something, but then the cart rattled to a stop at the command of her father. She heard him dismount and stomp toward their cart, heard his hands on the handle of the door and his breath as he stuck his head in.

"Saloria, child, you are awake!" Salgalu said, relief evident in his voice. He squeezed himself into the small cart and wrapped Saloria in his arms in a tight hug. She smelled fear on him, along with the smell of horses, sweat, dust, and that smell that was uniquely her father's. Saloria took comfort in that smell, and the warmth of his arms. The girl sighed, and calmed completely. Nothing could harm her while she was in his arms.

"She panicked when she woke." Tanlu said, and Anlu murmured his agreement.

"That is understandable. Those evil priests drugged her, giving her enough of the sleeping draft to kill a grown man, let alone a child." Salgalu growled.

"Are people trying to sacrifice me?" Saloria asked, still calm. The king ran his hands through the girl's hair.

"Hush, don't speak of such vile things." Salgalu cooed. Saloria managed not to roll her eyes.

"Why did the priests try to kill me?" Saloria pressed, grabbing the front of her father's shirt.

"Do not worry yourself over adult matters." the king replied firmly, releasing his daughter. The girl's heart choked her for a moment, then calmed. "We are about two weeks from Assur." Salgalu added. Saloria grimaced, so to change the subject, she asked, "What were you going to tell me before the temple?"

She heard Salgalu's sharp intake of breath. "I forget sometimes how smart you are." he chuckled nervously. Saloria just pointed her face in his general direction, frowning. She could hear him fidgeting. "I was just going to tell you we were all going on the trip." he said, far too hastily to be true, but Saloria refrained from pressing him for answers. She would learn the truth some other way. Saloria only smiled wanly up at her father.

"Why are we stopped?" the girl asked. Salgalu sighed with relief that his highly intelligent daughter hadn't interrogated him.

"We needed a rest, and we heard you were awake." Salgalu replied easily. Saloria nodded, listening to the outside. She heard the breathing of 14 men, not including the three in the cart, plus the snorting and stomping of maybe 20 horses. Saloria frowned.

"Why are there only 10 people other than us?" Saloria asked. Usually, a trip would include a whole caravan of people, no fewer than a couple hundred persons, which went with them. Saloria had only been on two full trips in her lifetime, but had heard of ones before that. Again, her father tensed.

"No reason. Like I said, I wanted this to be a family affair." Salgalu said, his voice and body tense. Saloria sighed. Just because she was five didn't mean she was stupid or couldn't handle the truth.

"Father," Saloria said crossly, "I am five years old. I can handle the truth." She said this so seriously that none of the males in the cart could laugh.

"I will not tell you until we are safely in Assur, where my cousin with protect us from our enemies." Salgalu replied, taking a tone he only ever used with the boys. It was far too late when he realized he'd given away everything. "Blast!" he said, curbing his cursing for young, female years. Saloria's eyes widened.

"We're being hunted?" She asked. Sallu chuckled from outside the cart.

"Father, I think she has a macabre sense of humor." The heir apparent said. There was a creak of door hinges and the sound of weight being added to a flimsy wooden structure, and Sallu was sitting next to Saloria. The king frowned at his eldest, unseen by the girl child. "Hello, little sister, it is about time you woke!" Sallu said, ignoring his father and ruffling Saloria's hair. The girl squirmed out of his reach, landing on Anlu, who wrapped his arms around her in a protective embrace.

"I do not! And I was poisoned! Of course I did not awaken sooner!" Saloria screeched, hating it when people touched her without her sensing it. She stuck her tongue out in the direction where she thought Sallu sat, and heard him chuckle darkly.

Sallu had always been her least favorite brother. He was greedy and ambitious, and liked to pick on Saloria by sneaking up on her and catching her unawares. In front of people, he was a perfect elder brother, but when it was just the siblings, he was almost cruel. When they were younger, he would move furniture so Saloria would bump into it, and then blame the servants for carelessness. For the longest time, Saloria was afraid to move anywhere on her own, but then discovered it was Sallu, not her. Even at her young age, Saloria knew how to severely dislike someone. Saloria thought that Sallu acted half his age when around her. A petty boy is what he was.

"Well, Father, I am off to patrol." Sallu said, leaping from the cart (AN: btw, the cart is one very much like a carriage, but more simple. One would carry silks, flour, or things that cannot be in the sun, and is not made for comfort, but Salgalu put cushions and stuff so that it was), making the thing wobble precariously. Saloria, always afraid of falling, clutched at Anlu. She heard her father grunt in annoyance.

"Be safe." The king replied to his son. He patted Saloria's cheek, and then he, too, extracted himself from the cart, but far less showily. "Guard her." He ordered the two youngest boys.

"Aiyai!" they shouted, giving their father a salute. Saloria giggled, and waited for her father's footsteps to recede before turning to her brothers.

"Can you take me outside? I want to explore!" she whispered. The boys looked at each other apprehensively.

"Uh, I don't know." Tanlu said, scratching his head. Saloria frowned.

"Please? Just outside. I don't need to go far." She pleaded, making her eyes appear as if they were looking up through her lashes. Anlu groaned.

"How can you know to make that look when you're blind?" he demanded as Tanlu sighed.

"Alright, let's go." Tanlu said, and Saloria, from the sounds being made, deduced he was poking his head outside the door to look for anyone nearby.

"No one near enough to notice." Saloria whispered. Tanlu growled at her.

"Act like a girl." He ordered as he hopped from the cart and helped Anlu get the girl out as well. Saloria rolled her eyes and made a face. These three had previously been the cause of quite a bit of mischief, and now was Tanlu acting his age and gender.

"I will when I want, or when it isn't important for me to be better at sneaking around." She retorted. In retaliation, Tanlu dropped her.

"Fine, I _won't_ treat you nicely." He replied, storming away. He only went around the cart to sulk, which made Saloria want to giggle. Anlu helped Saloria stand up and took her hand.

"_I _won't leave you." Anlu said proudly. Saloria did giggle.

"My hero!" she said around a grin. The two shared a chuckle and went off. Anlu led her around, stopping every so often for her to sniff or touch or listen. Saloria deduced that there were three carts similar to the one she rode in, making four carts total, and each had a different cargo. The first had fine silks and riches, as she heard from eavesdropping almost 30 feet away, and another had food and water, since they were in the desert-like area of Sumer. The last, other than her cart, had weapons and bunking materials. This one frightened her, since it was apparently necessary. Anlu whispered information into her ear as they spied from a nearby hill, describing the types of weapons and who went in and out. Their father was one of the more frequent visitors to the weapons' cart.

"Uh-oh!" Anlu hissed, pulling Saloria up and taking off at a run. Saloria HATED running,

"What is it?" she asked, clutching his hand for dear life.

"Father is heading toward our cart!" the boy replied, dragging his sister along. "If he found out I took you out of your cart, he'd beat me bloody!" he added. Saloria's breath caught.

"No, he wouldn't!" she hissed. Anlu shuddered.

"Yes, he would. He's done it before, when we lost you in the palace." He said. Saloria frowned.

"But I was the one that snuck away." She said.

"Doesn't matter. We're responsible for you, as princes, men, and your brothers." Anlu panted, and they must have reached the cart, because Anlu was suddenly hauling Saloria into it. Tanlu appeared from thin air and helped boost the small girl up, and he too hopped into the cart. They scrambled around to find places that made it look as if they'd always been there, and eventually the boys gave up and pretended to be wrestling in order to hide their heavy breathing and the mussed up cushions.

"What are you two doing? This is a cart, not a practice ring!" Salgalu roared, tearing the boys apart. Saloria avoided a flailing body that was tossed in her direction.

"Saloria was bored, so we were wrestling." Anlu said between pants.

"She can't see!" Salgalu snapped.

"But I can feel." Saloria said. "They're close enough for me to know what is going on." Salgalu snorted.

"I'm beginning to agree with Sallu; you spend far too much time with your brothers. I think, as soon as everything calms, I will send you to your aunt's palace in Kish." The king said dryly. Saloria wrinkled her nose.

"But she is old and mean and smells like a distillery!" the girl whined. Their father snorted.

"But she knows how to raise a good woman." He retorted.

"But I don't _want_ to be a good woman! I want to be a warrior princess!" Saloria said, the idea, as always, making her excited. She had never revealed her secret desire before, despite having asked in the past to be taught to fight. All the males laughed uproariously. Saloria's mood fell instantly. She HATED being laughed at, especially when she said something from her heart.

"Girls don't fight in wars." Anlu said.

"Girls don't fight in general." Tanlu added.

"Of course not, boys. Silly girl. Why would you ever want to be a boy? Being a woman is a fine thing. And anyway, you're blind, so you would be useless." Salgalu finished. Saloria turned away, crossing her arms over her chest, stung.

"Then _you_ be a girl." She snapped, sticking her nose in the air. Her brothers gasped in horror. There was a sudden chill in the air, as if there was an unwanted presence lurking nearby, but before she could discern the meaning, Saloria was grabbed, turned, and slapped sharply across the face before she could even sense movement from her father. Tears instantly spilled onto her cheeks, and she put her hand to her now stinging face.

"You will not speak to me like that." Salgalu growled. Saloria could only stare blindly toward her father, her tears burning her. She had never been slapped by her father before. Sallu had once, when she bit him for sneaking up on her, but her father had never risen voice nor hand to her, until now. "I am lenient, but I have spoiled you. We are in danger now, so I will not punish you fully, but from now on, girl, you will be treated like the child you are, and not some holy object. I love you dearly; you are precious to me, but you must learn your place." The king said, voice hard.

Saloria was only dimly aware he left moments later, her emotions blocking all her senses. Oh, she was angry. Actually, furious was a word that came to mind. Furious, and hurt. She knew once in a while her father slapped one of the boys for whatever mishap they did, and since the servants were not allowed to harm the royal children the king had to do it. But she had done more harmful things in the past and not been punished for it, other than a toy being taken away, or a mild scolding. By the gods, she'd broken priceless statues on accident, complained about the odors of foreign dignitaries, walked into a council meeting naked once when she was little when she was trying to find her nurse. Saloria had even kicked her father one time when he had snuck up on her, and he only held her more firmly in his arms and confirmed her safety.

Then she remembered that presence. It must have been the work of something else, something that took over the mind of her beloved father.

"You shouldn't have said that." Anlu murmured as he scooted toward her. Saloria snapped back into the present and flinched away.

"Yeah, you're lucky you only got a slap." Tanlu added. Saloria glared as fiercely as she could, still trying to figure out the puzzle she 'saw' in her head. But this topic seemed to pick a nerve with her.

"What was wrong with what I said? I only meant that if he thought being a girl was so wonderful, he should be one." The boys inhaled sharply.

"Don't say such things!" Tanlu hissed.

"Yeah! That is a dire insult to men!" Anlu added. Saloria's face contorted.

"Why?" she demanded.

"Because women are inferior to men." Tanlu said, his voice attempting to sound superior even to Saloria's ears. She growled. That was the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard. Women may not be physically stronger, but they were just as smart, if given the chance. She was living proof of that. But why was she thinking like this? These thoughts seemed to be for someone older than her…

"Well, that, and you're blind, which automatically makes you far more inferior than other women, since you're useless and will never be married to someone of circumstance." Tanlu added.

"Oh?" she snarled, and she tackled Tanlu in one leap, perfectly measuring the distance and angle by touch and hearing. She was able to give Tanlu at least a black eye before Anlu tackled her.

"I AM NOT INFERIOR!" She screamed, kicking at her brothers. Tanlu was crying and Anlu was trying to calm Saloria, but his young grip was not much stronger than her enraged flailing. Running footsteps were heard, and Saloria was dragged away from the younger boys by her father, since he was the only one allowed to touch her other than her brothers and women. Her rage was so strong that even the king had a hard time subduing his daughter. "I AM NOT INFERIOR! I WILL NOT BE A GIRL! I am _NOT_ USELESS!" Saloria shrieked over and over until Salgalu took firm hold of the back of her neck, bent her over his knee, and delivered three blows to her behind, causing the girl to choke on a scream and grow silent. She'd been hit again!

"What is the meaning of this?" the king roared. Tanlu stopped crying.

"We were explaining why you slapped her, Father, and Tanlu said something, and Saloria attacked him!" Anlu shouted, apparently near tears. Salgalu righted Saloria and held her shoulders at arm's length.

"Is this true?" he asked, his voice so low it almost hurt her ears. Saloria, over the shock of being hit again, glared defiantly but remained silent. He was under the influence of something not himself, she was sure. "Speak, girl." Salgalu said, threat and promise evident in his tone. Saloria was suddenly afraid. This was an aspect of her father she'd never seen before. She knew he punished her brothers, but he'd never even acted like he might punish her similarly. He seemed almost as if he _wanted _to find reasons to punish her. The presence was what she was really afraid of. She could feel it now, even, hovering around her father and leaching out toward her brothers and the guards. Saloria wanted badly to rip it from her family and destroy it, but she was weak still from the sleeping draft, and she was afraid of what would happen should she fail.

"He said that because I'm blind, I'm useless. That isn't true! I can be useful!" Saloria cried, clutching her father's sleeves. Salgalu made no comment.

"Did he say anything else?" the king asked softly.

"Yes. He said women are inferior to men." She whispered, facing the ground. Her heart was breaking a little. She heard a few chuckles from who must have been the guards, but those were silenced by a glare from their King. Still, the girl cringed slightly. Did they all really think she was useless for anything but an object to look at?

"Of course women are inferior." Salgalu growled, shaking her slightly. "Why else do you think we protect you, why we are the ones that fight wars and build palaces and homes? Women cannot do these things. Especially not you, since you are blind. I would die if anything happened to you."

_It's time, Saloria. Things have been set into motion. The change is upon you. Be brave, little one._

_No! Things cant change yet! _she thought frantically, suddenly feeling heavy. All her limbs seemed numb, her mind was going blank…

"Don't change yet," she whispered, her head dropping. Her eyelids fluttered closed.

_It's time, Saloria. The time for change is now…._ that voice from the temple and her dream whispered.

"NO!" she screamed, flailing away from anybody that came near her, fighting the lethargy with all her might. "DON'T CHANGE! Please, NOT YET!" Saloria sobbed, falling to her knees and curling into a ball around her father's feet. "Don't change. Not like this." she whispered against Salgalu's legs. Hands reached for her and suddenly, horses screamed in fright or anger and swords clashed after a round of shocked shouting.

"Get her to safety!" Salgalu bellowed, picking the girl up and handing her to someone. It was Renta, the second eldest brother. Renta shouted an affirmative and ran his sister back into her cart.

"Be quiet, Saloria _nin_." he whispered, tucking her beneath pillows and blankets. She could hardly breathe, but she ignored that sensation. "They're here for you. If they don't find you, we'll be fine." Saloria shook in fear, but nodded her understanding and stayed silent.

Sounds of battle hit her ears with an almost physical blow and she winced at every clash of a sword, every cry of anger or pain. She wanted to scream for them to stop, that she didn't want this. The girl heard Anlu shout in pain, and it took every ounce of her will to keep still. This couldn't be happening!

"Where is she?" a strange man bellowed. Saloria heard a blade cut into flesh, heard her father gasp in pain. "_Men never cry out, especially not a king,"_ her father had told her once, long ago. "I _asked _you, 'where is she!'" the strange man yelled again, and this time, her father did cry out. King or no king, everyone felt pain. Saloria suppressed a groan of frustration and terror.

"Yenla, we want him alive yet." Sallu laughed, and everything seemed to freeze. The shouting stopped, the fighting ceased, the horses calmed… Saloria forgot to breathe. "Honestly, man, I told you to keep your temper. How are we to capture prisoners and proof of our victory if you kill everyone?" her brother continued, and she heard the sound of a hand slapping companionably against leather clad shoulder. There was a grunt of unhappy assent and the sloshing sound of metal leaving flesh. Saloria wanted to be ill, only because it was her father's flesh, but she stayed stone still.

"You traitor!" Salgalu hissed, voice tense with pain.

"Oh, father, you should have seen this coming. After all, you're still well within your prime, and I'm getting older every day. I wanted a chance at the throne while I'm young and not some tottering old man." Sallu laughed, his tone condescending. Saloria's blood chilled. "So I figured I'd take you out of the way by luring you out here with little threats against your beloved daughter," he spit out these last words like they tasted bad, "and slaying you, making it look like a raiding party that killed everyone but me, who had somehow managed to escape, but too bad for his family and King. Guess what that will make me, old man." Sallu chuckled evilly.

"You'd kill us all to be king?" Renta growled. It sounded as if he struggled against someone holding him. Sallu grunted.

"Of course, little brother Renta. With Father out of the way like this, who's to say one of you wouldn't want a try? I'm merely taking out the competition."

"And what about Saloria?" Salgalu asked, voice rasping. He sounded so weak. Sallu snorted contemptuously.

"I'm going to get rid of her, too. She's always been useless, but everyone treats her as if she's some sort of godling. She's _cursed_, Father, not blessed. That is why her eyes are so strange, why she is blind. But I'm not going to kill her. No, I've been offered quite a high price for her lovely little self, and I plan on doing business with some fine gentlemen from Atlantis. Mark me; the girl will be alive, just not well. We'll break her in here, though, of course."

There was a sound of a rushing body, as if someone had thrown himself at someone else, a pair of loud grunts, and shouts of fury.

"YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER WITH YOUR FILTHY HANDS! NONE OF YOU!" Salgalu screamed.

"Detain him!" Sallu bellowed, and more bodies rushed to comply. "Just don't kill him! That is my right!" Saloria heard blow after blow being struck, and finally, silence. The girl was crying by now.

"Where is the girl?" the strange man from before asked again.

"Oh, calm yourself. She is probably in her cart, hiding. We'll worry about her in a moment. Let's tie everyone up over there first, and then go find her. She is, after all, blind and completely helpless without someone there to lead her." Sallu muttered under his breath, but Saloria could somehow hear him through the layers of cushions on top of her, the cart, and the distance between them.

Terrified, she silently unburied herself and searched for the door that led away from the sounds. She listened for sounds of approach, but all she could hear was breathing, curses and protests, crying, groaning, and the dragging of bodies in the opposite direction.

"Sallu! You can't hurt our sister! You can't hurt her! It's our duty to protect her!" Anlu was shouting. A slap rang out and the boy cried out in pain. Saloria's heart went out to him even as she looked, more frantically now, for the door. Her hands met with nothing but rough wood planks. Her breathing started to hitch. A silent mantra began in her head; _door, door, must find the door. Must find the…DOOR!!!_

She found it and was pushing it open when she realized that footsteps were heading directly for her cart. Saloria repressed a scream of terror and slid silently out of the cart and shut the door. She crawled on her hands and knees so she wouldn't trip over anything. Oh, how she wished she had her walking stick! Her family must have left it in Eridu when they left. Curses! The opposite door creaked open and a man's heavy breathing could be heard from inside it.

"She's not here." the strange man said after the sound of tearing cloth and thrown cushions.

"Look out the other side." Sallu said slowly, as if to a dim child. "She can't have gone far." Footsteps on sand moved closer toward her, and Saloria couldn't take it anymore. She sprang to her feet and took off at a run, hoping beyond hope she didn't run into anything or trip over rocks or fall into holes, or, better yet, she wasn't seen. There was a shout of surprise behind her and the stranger took after her. Saloria screamed when the man all too easily caught up to her, caught her around her waist and slung her over his shoulder.

"NO, no! Let me _go!_" she screamed, kicking and slamming her tiny fists as hard as she could against the awful smelling man that held her. He only chuckled.

"Feisty little thing." Yenla laughed, stroking her legs with the hand that held them to him. The girl shrieked in revulsion and outrage.

"Yenla, behave yourself for the time being." Sallu sighed as if weary of Yenla's antics. The man beneath Saloria's slim body gave a great sigh and stopped his hand's roaming. Saloria almost cried with relief. She was not used to being touched more than necessary, and never by strangers. All too soon the girl was hauled over Yenla's shoulder, causing her to have a terrifying moment of disorientation, and set on her feet on the ground. Involuntarily, the princess stumbled and clutched at the man's arm so she would not fall. Yenla laughed uproariously.

"I see what you mean when you say she's helpless!" the giant of a man said. Saloria, furious, turned and gave Yenla a sharp kick on the shin. He howled in surprised pain and slapped her, making Saloria tumble to the ground, the blow nearly knocking her out.

"I told you not to hit her." Sallu growled. Yenla muttered a curse and hauled the tiny princess to her feet by her hair. Saloria refused to cry out in pain, which seemed to irk Yenla to no end, but he behaved himself. "Well, little sister, it seems to me I've won." Sallu said, his voice triumphant. Saloria spit at him blindly, and must have aimed well, for he yelped in surprise.

"You've only won when all of us are dead." The girl hissed, a strange maturity taking over her. Oh no! The presence from before has taken over her now! But there was nothing she could do to stop it. Actually, this presence was different from the one that had taken over her father. It was…more a part of her than a separate entity. How could that be? Her mouth continued to work. "You are a bastard, Sallu, and should be sacrificed to Enki for your traitorous ways, you changeling jackal's son!"

A violent tug on her hair made her stop her tirade and cry out. Tears sprung to her eyes in anger and pain. The mature feeling was slowly fading, but it had a few more words to say; "Let us go. We'll not harm you in any way. Just leave us to the desert." She whispered. She could hear her father's labored breathing. His wound must be severe. The girl wondered (rather morbidly) where he was stabbed, and whether or not he would survive it. She prayed to Enki he would.

"You know I cannot and shall not." Sallu sneered. "I need our father and all our brothers to die so I have no competition from them. As for you, it does not matter if you live or die, since you are merely a girl and could never take the throne, so you will remain alive." Sallu said as if contemplating the weather. Saloria growled, and the feeling that had been fading took over completely.

"_Do NOT kill them, or Enki and all the gods of Sumer be my witnesses, I will tear your entrails from your body and strangle you with them_!" Saloria snarled, her voice altered to that of an adult's. Her eyes seemed, to those around her, to glow with an eerie green and gold light. The tone of her voice was like a god's proclamation; promising and final. Sallu merely laughed.

"Saloria, Saloria, Saloria. Such a foul tongue for such a small girl child." Sallu chuckled, not hearing the change in her voice, nor seeing the strangeness of her eyes. "If tongues were not such a pleasurable commodity, I'd cut it out of you, cook it, and make your father eat it before I gut him." Sallu said cheerfully, confident in his victory.

Saloria spit at him again, but missed. Her head was spinning, disorienting her. There were so many feelings churning in her heart, so many sensations from the outside that she could barely think. Saloria just wanted to cry in her room with her father's arms wrapped around her protectively as her brothers crooned useless comforts. But that was not to be.

"Let them go, NOW!" Saloria commanded, suddenly herself again. She heard her eldest brother take a few long strides toward her, heard the rustling of his clothes as he swung back his arm, and the air rushing over his arm as he slammed his palm down onto her cheek. The motion of the slap seemed to take minutes in which, if she was able, Saloria could have moved out of the way. But Yenla held her tightly and all the girl could do was turn her head so the slap would not break her neck or rattle out her newly grown teeth. Still, the blow stung like nothing before and left a print on her cheek.

"You do not order me around, whore!" Sallu bellowed. Saloria was trying her hardest not to cry, but oh, how she wanted to. Her brother took hold of her robes and hauled her toward him. His face was so near hers she could have turned her head and bit him, but she resisted. "Now you get to _feel_ our _beloved_ father's death rather than just _listen_ to it. You will get to hear all our brothers get tortured to death as you watch helplessly, bound to my horse, where you await the beating of your life." His breath smelled sour and evil, and spittle sprayed out onto her face as he snarled at her.

Saloria trembled, terror overtaking her as tears escaped her lids. She heard her father moan something, but could not make out the words. Sallu snapped a command in a different language, one Saloria guessed was Atlantian [AN: I can never remember how to spell this; so it'll be spelled this way from now on]. There was a rush of movement, and her father began to bellow in rage.

"Let me go! Unhand me, you Atlantian fiends! Rapists! Murderers! May the gods of every land curse you and your families for the rest of time! Release my family this instant! Do not TOUCH my daughter!" Salgalu raged, thrashing his body against the multitudes of bindings that held him captive. It took five men to haul him over to where Sallu and Saloria stood. His body was thrown to their feet, and the king groaned in pain as his wound was jarred violently from the fall. Saloria could only smell his blood, and the smell made her mind go numb for a moment.

"First off, Father Dearest, these are Apollites. Second, you have no control here. You have no right to order me about. I am the new king of Eridu. You and all your sons but I shall die horrible deaths that your daughter will witness." Sallu hissed in his father's ear. "Just imagine how it will traumatize her."

Saloria shocked everyone by jumping on Sallu and tearing at him with all her might, fists pounding, feet kicking, and teeth biting as she screamed curses at him, curses she'd learned from listening. Sallu screamed in shock, pain, and fear. "GET HER OFF ME!" the prince bellowed, and hands were upon the child, tearing her from their liege and holding her still, but she thrashed with what little space given to her.

"DO NOT HURT THEM! I'll kill you!" Saloria shrieked, her voice that of a child's, but her eyes glowed with that eerie light again, and this time Sallu saw. Everyone but Yenla, who held her against his body with sadistic pleasure, and her father, who was too injured to move even a finger, took a step back in terror.

"Demon! She is a demon!" one soldier cried, and the shout was taken up until Sallu bellowed an order in Atlantian.

"She is no such thing; she is just a girl! Be silent, the lot of you, or I'll rethink my opinions of you all being strong men!" Despite his words, Sallu sounded shaken. Saloria smiled. That old and strong something was possessing her again, and she was letting it. She would protect her family with everything she had and everything she could to borrow. But as of yet, she could not utilize that strange power that seemed to be a part of her, and that frustrated the child. "Bring her here, Yenla!" Sallu snapped, and Saloria was hustled over. Sallu's hand wrapped around her thin arm and he tossed her onto her back on the ground. Stunned, she lay frozen, listening as Yenla and Sallu grunted with effort and her father moaned in pain as he was rolled onto her. Saloria panicked.

"Papa?! Papa!" she wheezed, his weight crushing her small body.

"Saloria _dumu_. Fear not. Enki will guard you and your brothers." Salgalu whispered, spittle and blood dripping into the girl's hair as the man struggled to live. Sallu straddled his back, dagger in hand. He grabbed the king's hair and wrenched his head back.

"Saloria, watch and experience your father's death." The prince murmured as he watched his little sister stare blindly forward, terror obvious in her eyes as she struggled to breathe under the weight of their father, himself, and her fear.

"No…" she moaned, reaching out to her father. With a speed that shocked everyone, Sallu slit Salgalu's throat with one slash, right as Saloria's tiny hands reached his face. Salgalu let out a dying gurgle, his body shuddered, and his life's blood poured onto the girl beneath him, covering her face and upper body.

Saloria froze in horror; holding her father's face between her hands, she felt his face contort with pain, then relax in death. Sallu laughed at the look on her face and proceeded to sever the head of their deceased father. The girl opened her mouth to shriek, but the sound caught in her throat as blood fell into her mouth, and she choked on it. Saloria began to thrash wildly, terror freezing her mind, and all she could think about was getting away from the hot body of that man who had been her protector and only parent.

"Get away! Get away!" the girl screamed over and over, caught beneath his deadweight. Her eyes were opened so wide, she was amazed they didn't just fall out. Saloria sobbed, tasting and smelling the essence of her father's life all over her. After a few minutes, which felt like centuries to the girl, Sallu took a small mercy and dragged the dead man from the girl, who scrambled away as fast as she could, only to bump into the legs of Yenla, who picked her up by her hair and held her captive yet again. She could only hear the blood pumping through her own veins and the screams of mourning and rage from her brothers.

_Shock. You're going into shock…_ that voice that was hers but not whispered, and the girl closed her eyes even as the rest of her screamed and fought with all her strength. She ignored the pain from her captured hair as she struggled with all her childish might against Yenla.

"ENOUGH!" Sallu screamed, and silence prevailed in the desert. "You all make enough noise to raise the dead! Yenla, bind her to my horse immediately!" Yenla jumped into action, dragging the girl to a nearby horse and tying her tightly to the saddle. "Torian, you keep a look out! The rest of you, choose a prince and…"

"Wait!" Saloria cried, once again somewhat sane. Everything paused, even breathing. The men were afraid of her strangeness, but more so of the brutality of their leader. Her brothers were hoping she'd save them. _And they thought women were inferior and I was useless. Ha!_ "Please, King Sallu, wait. Let my brothers live and send them into the desert. Do not kill them like this, please, brother! I will do anything!" Saloria was crying now, eyes wide in terror, shock, and entreaty. Calling her eldest brother a king had wounded her young pride like nothing before, but she did it and was proud of herself for thinking like that.

"Proceed." Sallu said, deliberately loud, and a cacophony of screams of horror and pain assaulted the child's ears as her brothers were killed slowly. They were being cut, bit by bit, and hurt in other ways, ways Saloria didn't recognize at all. They called out to her to save them, since she was the only one not being touched.

"Stop it! Stop it! What do you want? What do you gain from doing this like this?!" she screamed, her soul going out to her tortured brothers. Sallu was suddenly beside her, and he wrenched her head back by her hair. She cried out in shock and pain, feeling guilty for it, since her brothers were going through much worse.

"I want to see you suffer, Saloria. You killed my mother, you captured the hearts of everyone that set eyes upon you, you stole my father's attention. _I_ am the eldest! _I_ was the heir, yet he spent more time with you in your short five years of life than he ever did with me! So I will make you suffer through the deaths of the rest of our brothers, knowing that you could not save them because you are useless! A blind girl child! What could you ever do to save them?" Sallu hissed in her ear, clutching her hair in one hand and her tiny throat in the other. He was holding her throat just firmly enough to make breathing difficult, but not to strangle her.

"I'll do anything, just stop hurting them!" Saloria gasped, the sound of her brothers' screams taking over her mind. That strange echo was returning, the one that gave her the worst type of headache and confused her.

Sallu paused for a long moment, considering. Then he sneered gleefully. "You just gave me a way to prove your uselessness." He released her from his grasp and untied her. "If you can reach them before they die, I will release them, no harm done, but only the ones that you reach. The others will continue until you reach them. You, on the other hand, will be sold as a slave to my Atlantian friends."

One of the elder brothers, maybe Ulno, the fourth eldest, protested. "Don't sell her! You can't sell her! She is a princess of Sumer! To experience such a dishonor!" he was quickly silenced with a blow. He cried out, and Saloria threw herself toward him, but was held back by Yenla. The screaming of her brothers had receded, since Sallu's soldiers had stopped in order to listen to them. All of her captured brothers were crying and moaning in pain and terror, even the older ones. Saloria gritted her newly grown teeth and faced Sallu.

"Accepted." She snarled. Sallu laughed, and suddenly there were hands all over her, shoving, pulling and spinning her so she could barely tell up from down. The sensation of dislocation nauseated her. A shout was taken up, and the overwhelming smell of horse manure was shoved under her nose.

"I know your sense of smell is acute, so this'll make it more of a challenge." Sallu murmured almost softly, then the manure was shoved in her face, and the girl gagged, still being shoved around. The smell of her father's blood, which was still covering her upper body and face, had already been overpowering her smell, but the manure completely killed it as she tried not to pass out from the power of it. To make things worse, the men started bellowing in her ears, deafening her to her brother's screams of help. One last shove sent her to her knees, and then there was no one around her.

The screams echoed in her head, making it impossible to tell which direction they came from. She could smell nothing but manure and blood, and she was completely directionally impaired. Saloria shakily got to her feet and stumbled forward, feeling for her brothers. Her name was being called from every direction.

"Anlu!" she cried, and listened for him. "Tanlu? Leelu! Ulno! Renta!" screams of agony joined with the echoes in her head, her name was being cried… Saloria began to cry again as she rushed in the direction she thought Anlu was. She tripped over a rock, scrambled to her feet, and continued on. Then, there was a pair of hot bodies beside her, and she pounced on the largest one, kicking and punching with all her might. The man howled in shock and tossed her away.

"Saloria!" Anlu sobbed in relief, clutching at her robes. "Tanlu is over…" he started, but he was punched in the gut by his tormentor. Saloria resisted attacking Anlu's assailant, deciding to trust her eldest brother's words, and stumbled in another direction. She was close to another pair of bodies when all sounds of pain, one by one, stopped. The girl froze. Sallu was behind her with a blade against her spine.

"Too late, little girl." The prince, no, king, sneered. Saloria couldn't move, frozen in shock and horror.

"But you said--!" she gasped.

"So sorry. Did I forget to mention there was a time limit? Too bad. Just think, Saloria. Four of your brothers are dead because of you. All but Anlu. Poor boy. At least the others died quickly. I can't say the same for him." Sallu gloated, his voice falsely sad. Saloria's shock broke then, and she screamed in fury and threw herself at her brother, intent on killing him, ignoring the blade that was pressed against her, but of course, she was immediately subdued after a few cruel blows and a twisted arm. Saloria bellowed out her pain, anger, and self loathing.

She wasn't fast enough, wasn't capable of saving her beloved family all because she was blind and a girl. _Useless._

"You can do what you want with the boy, just keep him alive." Sallu shouted to his men. Evilly delighted chuckles came from the Appollites, and Anlu's cries for mercy were ignored. Clothes were ripped, and a small body was beaten into submission. A cry of agony from the boy made Saloria hurl herself toward the boy, but she was caught instantly. She could hear grunts of pleasure from a man, and cheering from some of the others as Anlu squealed in pain. Saloria had no idea what was being done to the boy, she could not think. She stood frozen in horror in the arms of Yenla, yet again.

"No, no no!" she whispered over and over as she listened to her brother being…

_Raped._

The word tore through her mind and with horrible clarity, Saloria, age five and one day, knew exactly what was happening to her brother. The girl collapsed, unable to bear her own weight.

"Let him go!" she moaned as the sounds intensified. Her favorite brother's screams echoed in her head, shutting out everything but scent, which was the blood of her dead brothers, who'd all had their throats cut, and a sick, musky scent coming from the men. She could smell it even past the manure that was plastered to her face.

_Lust. Desire. You smell their sexual wants as they watch Anlu being raped._

"Stop. Stop! I don't want to hear any more! Please, Enki! Hear me! Save him!" Saloria cried to the heavens, but there was no higher power coming to save her brother from his fate. She was alone, and in that moment, she hated the gods with all her soul. If Anlu died like this, if the gods of Sumer ignored her plea for help for THEIR prince, and if she ever got free, she would hunt them down and kill every one of them. "ENKI! Save your prince!" she screamed, but nothing happened, and finally, Anlu's cries stopped as he passed out.

_A small mercy for the poor boy. Sadly, not a respite that will help his body._

Saloria understood exactly what the voice meant, and cursed the knowledge even as the animalistic grunting continued. The girl turned to Sallu and glared with all her might.

"I. _Hate_. You." She said, voice trembling with the force of her emotions, but of course, Sallu only laughed.

"And I you." The new king waved his hand and Yenla cheerfully struck Saloria's head with his dagger, and the girl knew no more.

**AN: SO SORRY THIS IS SO LATE I'M SORRY PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!! Yeah… see, this chapter was harder to write than I expected. It is a really important chapter, one that kind of shows why Saloria turns out the way she does later in the story, so I had to get it right, and my OCDness was coming out full force. I rewrote this chapter at least a dozen times before this came out like this, and even then, it's not perfect, but I guess I should just leave it so I can continue on with the story. *sigh* ah well. So yeah, sorry it wasn't the best thing ever. It came out longer than expected too. Over 8000 words! But yeah…**

**Just for those of you wondering why Saloria has such a different name from that of her brothers'; Sumerian males usually had the 'lu' at the end of their name (SalgaLU, AnLU, you get the idea; it made them have 'manly' names. lol), but girls (here, probably not for real) did not. Saloria's name comes with her soul, so no matter where she's born or what the parents had previously planned, she will always be named "Saloria." Any culture, any country, anything, she'd be called Saloria. Yes, many people wonder about that.**

**Btw, Saloria's name is Salo (from Hebrew "Salomé meaning peace), and Ria (from Hebrew "Riah" meaning bitter). So Saloria's name means 'bitter peace.' As the story progresses, it'll come clearer. Her name could also be derived from 'lori,' short for 'laura,' which means "laurel" which is a type of tree that the ancient Romans used for victory, so "Lori" means victory.**

**Be wonderful readers of fanfiction and Please, please, please, with a chocolate covered cherry on top of mounds of your favorite ice cream and cake and other deserts splashed with more chocolaty goodness and strawberries and caramel and all the other yummy stuff that goes good on desserts, REVIEW!**

**Thank you for reading! I will update as soon as my muses return from their vacation. Luv to my readers! *bow* until next time**


	5. Chapter 4: Captive

Saloria

An Eternal Soul Story

by Lana Ves

Chapter 4: Sold

Sallu watched emotionlessly as the unconscious body of his sister was hauled away to her cart, which had been stripped from any valuables or comfort. He tried hard to destroy any feelings he had toward her but hate, yet her beauty, even at her age… the prince – no, _king_ – shook his head in disgust.

"Young siren whore." He muttered under his breath, turning away from the girl to face the rest of his followers.

Half of them were Sumerian nobles and high ranking soldiers, all on his side; the others were Atlantian supporters who came upon Sallu's request. He smiled wolfishly at the sight of them all working together to get rid of the bodies of his family and their guards. Most were looting the royal family of any treasures, and tore their clothing (more than had already been done) and the king was stripped of his clothing.

"Make sure they look like they've been killed by robbers!" Nartes, a giant of an Atlantian, shouted. Grumbles from the men working could be heard. Sallu frowned when he saw that one man was still abusing Leelu, the third son. The new king smirked.

It could not be helped after all; those born of King Salgalu and Queen Alin were very handsome; inky black hair, strong bodies, sculpted features, bronzed skin, deep mahogany eyes… Only Saloria was different. Of course, she was more beautiful than handsome, but her beauty outranked that of their mother, and all ladies of the court. In fact, Sallu had to admit, she looked like the offspring of a god. Her skin was milky pale (and not from lack of sun; the girl was obsessed with sitting in the sun, for whatever reason Sallu could not, and cared not to, figure out), but her eyes… her eyes were creepy. The two colors, and not only that, but pupil-less! It was as if she had no soul!

Sallu had always been a firm believer that Saloria was NOT the Godsend everyone seemed to be convinced she was, but actually a demon come to destroy everything. The man shook his head to clear his thoughts of his sister, at least temporarily.

"You there! Stop your fornicating and get to work!" Sallu yelled to the man atop of the body of Leelu. "We have quite a distance to travel before daybreak!" The soldier, one belonging to one of the Atlantians, let out one last grunt of pleasure and got up, putting himself back together as he ambled away, muttering all the while. Sallu refrained from striking out and turned to walk to his horse.

He halted his movements when he heard uproarious laughter and a high-pitched scream of horror and pain. Sallu sighed and stalked toward the racket. When he arrived, he saw the majority of the Atlantians surrounding Anlu, tormenting him with the news of his family's death and his fate, even as what was left of his clothing was torn from his small body and he was thrown to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Sallu roared to be heard above the noise. One by one, the Atlantians stopped their actions and watched him, assessing his competence.

"We're doing as we please with this boy, your brother who you proclaimed as dead. Since we have no women, and you have forbidden us to touch your sister, we take it as our right to take this boy." Bortisian said. Bortisian was one of the higher ranking nobles who was used to having a woman by his side at all times to quench his insatiable lust whenever, and wherever, he wanted. Sallu fought not to roll his eyes.

"You are not a foot soldier, Bortisian. You are a noble. Act like one." Sallu sneered.

"Sallu-nin! Sallu, brother! Save me!" Anlu croaked, his voice almost gone from all his screaming. His small body shook with great tremors and he bled from various cuts. His legs and back were covered in his drying blood and other fluids. Sallu backhanded him after taking four long strides toward him.

"You do not talk to you king in such a familiar way, _slave_." Sallu hissed. Anlu collapsed, staring up at his eldest brother in shock and gaping. Sallu glared at the surrounding men. "I don't care what you do, just keep it quiet! His screams could be heard from the deepest pits of hell! We are leaving in just a moment. Be ready, or stay behind."

With that said, Sallu strode from the ring of eager men and retrieved his dagger from where he dropped it in the sand after he had slit his father's throat.

"My lord, the girl is in her cart, untouched except to put her there. She is still unconscious." Yenla said from behind the new king. Sallu nodded, staring at the blood on his dagger. It was already crusty. He wiped it off on the hem of his robe.

"Good. Very good, Yenla. Make sure everyone is ready." He was interrupted by a shriek from Anlu, which was immediately cut off. He waited a moment, then continued. "We are going to Assur, where we will sell Saloria to the Atlantians and depart for Eridu."

"Aye, Lord, you have been over this before." Yenla grunted. Sallu backhanded the man, who stumbled.

"I am your _king_, Yenla, not just a _lord_. Refer to me as such, or do not speak to me at all."

"Aye, my King."

Sallu looked up at the sky, where the stars twinkled merrily as if to condone to his actions.

"I did it, Yenla. I am king of Eridu. And soon, if things go according to plan, all of Sumer. And I will be rid of my vile sister sooner. I would not look forward to her future if I were her." The man smiled. "Come, Yenla, let's finish this night. Tell the men to mount; we're leaving."

The next few moments were busy; men scrambled around, packing things away and mounting their horses. Within twenty minutes, the whole group of thirty something men was riding toward Assur, leaving the abused, violated bodies of the Eridu Royal family and their loyal guards to rot in the moonlight, waiting to be buried by the sands' ever changing ranges, their location known only to scavengers and the gods for the rest of time.

* * *

This time, when Saloria woke, her head throbbed with agonizing pain every time the cart hit even the tiniest of bumps in the road. "Papa…" she complained, coming fully aware and noticing she was no longer on a soft pile of cushions, but the hard wood floor of the cart. "Papa?" she whispered. Saloria heard a dark chuckle behind her and she turned so fast that it sent a spike of pain straight to her eyes and down her spine. The princess gasped and fell, quietly crying. Her head felt as if it would split in two!

"You're awake. Finally." A strange man's voice said, his voice rich and deep with a bell like quality to it. Saloria frowned in confusion. This man was not any of her brothers, nor any of the nobles at court, not even any of the guards that she knew.

"Who are you? How dare you enter my chambers!" Saloria snarled, attempting to stand but the movement of the cart and her own dizzying pain made her fall down again. The man laughed. "My father will see you hanged!" the girl hissed in frustration.

"What father? You, girl, are an orphan!" the man chuckled. He smelled of expensive healing spices, paint, sweat, and that strange musky scent most men had. There was also a water-like smell to him, as if he had just finished swimming in a lake and had been sunbathing. His scent baffled the girl, because no human had ever smelled like that to her before. Most people smelled basically the same, with unique twists, but they all smelled, well, human, but this man didn't. Close, but not close enough.

Then his words registered, and the memories of the events that happened before she was knocked out rushed to her mind; the pain, the blood.

Death.

All her brothers but Anlu and the traitor, Sallu, were dead. Tears stung Saloria's eyes, but she refused to cry in front of this strange man.

"Who are you?" the girl asked again. She could feel waves of the man's confidence that she was helpless and that he could do what he wished to her. It made her blood boil. But she _was_ useless, wasn't she? She'd let her family get murdered when she was able to do something about it. Saloria felt the single teardrop burn her face as it fell.

"Well, since it you'll find out in the long run, I am Enki, Sumerian god of freshwater, healing and art. You are Saloria, Princess of Eridu, daughter of Lugal Salgalu and Alin, king and queen of Eridu, keepers of the temple of Enki. Or am I incorrect?" His voice held thunder, as if to say he was incorrect would mean her death. Saloria gaped.

"You are Enki?" she asked, believing it but willing it not to be true. If it were true, then Enki had ignored their prayers, despite their years of devoted worship. Yet there was a spark of hope; Enki would save her and Anlu from her brother's evil grasp. She sat, tense, waiting for his answer. Enki grunted an affirmative. Saloria, ignoring her pain and dizziness, hurled herself at him and wrapped her arms around his waist, sobbing.

"Why? Why did you let them die! They are your servants! They cared for your temples, worshipped you every moment! Why did they have to die? Why did you make me like this! I am useless to everyone!" the orphan princess cried into the god's robe, which was made of a very fine material – silk, most likely. His scent (now that the freshwater and the healing spices made sense) was almost overpowering, and it affected something deep within Saloria's heart; she felt a pull almost, as if something within her was trying to pull him to her. But the girl was too distraught to notice the feeling, thinking it was just her grief and horror.

Enki quickly detached the girl from his body and held her at arm's-length away. "Saloria-nin, you know I do not deal directly with humans."

"But you're doing that now! You're talking to me! You could have saved them!"

"Saloria, no. See, you are not human, child. You're something else entirely." His voice was ever-so gentle, fatherly almost, but there was a hint of malice in it. Saloria tilted her face up as if to look at him.

"What do you mean? Of course I'm human! My mother and father are human!" she cried, clutching his clothing with her tiny fists. Enki chuckled, and the sound of cruelty in it gave Saloria pause.

"Just because your parents are human, it doesn't make you human. You, girl, are something more than human, but less than a god." Saloria's young mind couldn't wrap around that idea, so she dismissed it.

"Well, even if I'm not human, you heard my prayers for my human family and ignored them. Why?"

"Now that is the true question, is it not?" Enki chuckled darkly. "To tell you the truth, it's because of you." Saloria flinched. "You are an abomination to the gods, and you were to be gotten rid of. Killing you now is pointless, for you'll just come back, but I could make you miserable while you do live. I had your mother killed when you were born as a punishment for giving birth to such a monster as yourself. The rest of your family I had killed, all except your charming brother Sallu, because they loved you and wanted to keep you alive. All this goes against my healing nature, but, well, I hate you."

Saloria had never had anyone she'd just met tell her that he hated her. She knew Sallu did, but she'd never liked him much herself. Enki, on the other hand, she had worshiped with love, cherished every moment she was able to be in his temple. His words cut her heart more than the betrayal of her eldest brother.

"You had them all killed because you hate me?" she whimpered, eyes wide as she tried with all her being to _see_ her deity.

"Yes."

"Why? Why do you hate me?" she cried softly. Saloria felt him get close to her, so close she could feel his breath mingle with hers and his nose brush up against hers. Menace from the god washed over her and made her shiver even as he took her arms in his iron grip.

"You killed everyone I loved. My wife, my son and three daughters. All because they ignored a single rule. I killed you once, but here you are again." Enki growled in her face. Saloria gaped at him. He was mad! She'd never killed anyone in her entire life! She'd never even killed an insect! The only thing the girl could do was cry as she endured this mad god's hate, even as a seed of the same emotion was planted in her. Soon, that seed grew into a sapling, then into a tree as she thought of what he'd said.

"You killed my family because you claim I killed yours? How could I when I've never left the city of Eridu, nor even _met_ your family?!" Saloria hissed, tears streaming down her face. Then that presence seemed to take over. "You went against your nature to get revenge on me? You ridiculous creature!" she snarled, and her tiny body hurled itself at Enki. The god gasped in shock at her strength and released her.

"Suffer, whore. I'll have someone kill you when I think you've suffered enough." Enki bellowed, and he disappeared from Saloria's senses. The girl collapsed, the presence in her gone now, and she howled in agony as her head tried to split itself into pieces. Quickly, though, the pain pulled her into oblivion, and she slept.

* * *

"Do you think Sallu will know if we took her now? She's asleep."

"No, she'd most defiantly wake up and start screaming. Then we'd be in trouble."

"but if we gagged her?"

"No, too risky. I say we just use the boy."

"But the Atlantians are using him. We should get some too."

Saloria had no idea what the men in her cart were talking about, but she was sure she didn't want to find out. Abruptly, she sat up and let out an earsplitting shriek. The men cried out and scrambled as quickly as they could out of her cart. Saloria continued to scream, but no longer to scare off potential threats.

"What's going on here, men?" Sallu said from outside. He had to shout to be heard over Saloria's loud screaming.

"We went to see if the girl was still alive, and she started screaming, my king!" the first man shouted, unease obvious in his voice. Sallu let out a frustrated growl and entered the cart. Apparently, the caravan had stopped to rest.

"Hush, girl. Hush!" Sallu snarled. Saloria kept screaming, defiant now. Sallu snarled and slapped Saloria hard enough to knock her onto her back. The new king straddled the girl when she opened her mouth to yell at him, and placed his hands over her mouth. "Be silent, or you'll regret being born." Sallu hissed. Saloria silenced herself and held herself still.

The siblings sat like that for a moment, the silence almost overwhelming. Saloria was thinking her brother had no trust in her, but his free hand brushing gently over her jaw line broke that thought. Her eyes widened in shock at his gentleness. He'd never treated her that softly before.

"You have such perfect skin." He whispered, shifting his body a little so he was bent over her. Saloria held herself very still, fear pulsing through her. She felt his face come close to hers, and Sallu gave her a wet kiss on her cheek, then ran his nose over her forehead. "So soft… warm…" he murmured. Saloria let out a squeak that was muffled by his hand. It was enough of a sound to break the trance Sallu had fallen into. With a shout of rage, he threw himself away from his sister and out of the cart.

"YOU ENTCHANTRESS!" he screamed, slamming the door shut. "You two; guard her. Touch her, die. I need her untouched in order to get a good bid on her. But make sure she does not leave that cart, and keep an eye on each other so you do not fall under her spell; she may be a beauty, a siren come from the depths of the ocean to tempt us, but you cannot fall prey to her wiles!" Sallu yelled to the two guards as Saloria listened to his footsteps retreat. Despite the fear of what he might have been doing, a small flare of triumph lit her battered soul. She had managed to destroy a little bit of Sallu's confidence.

_Just like he did for you._

* * *

Saloria listened intently to her guards' breathing. One had a slight wheeze, as if once he had a crushed rib or was stabbed in the lung and survived. The other just sounded ill. That one had a cough also. She was waiting for them to fall asleep so she could sneak out and try to find Anlu. She had not heard from or about him since Yenla knocked her out, and that worried her. All her prayers went to him. She prayed that he was safe and was being taken care of properly, though the girl highly doubted it. Already, life was making her a cynic.

[AN: I know I'm bad at making her sound like a five year old. So sue me. I haven't been around little (girls) her age in a while. I want to do better, but any research I do would make me look like a pedophile since I'd hang around little kids a lot…]

It took a long time; these guards were either well trained or terrified of punishment. Saloria, with her childish patience, barely contained herself. She decided she'd rest a while, and hopefully her sleep would induce sleep in her guards. Her hope was rewarded, for when she opened her senses to listen for their breathing, the two men were soundly asleep. There was a problem, though; the caravan was moving. Gods curse it, she overslept! Saloria couldn't withhold the snarl of fury. With her cry, plus the sounds of her small fists slamming onto the wood floor of the cart, her guards awoke, sniffling and groaning from ill-used bones and pulled muscles. Saloria turned her back on them to face the wall so they could not see the look of hurt fury on her face.

"What's wrong, Princess?" the one with the wheeze said, voice huskier from sleep. She could tell he was trying to tease her.

"Yeah, Princess, what's the matter? Not enjoying our company? Sad, 'cause we enjoy yours." Cough said. Wheeze chuckled in a way that made Saloria's stomach twist. The girl refused to answer and tried to pretend to be asleep.

"Hey, now, don't be ignoring us, Pretty Princess!" Wheeze said cheerfully, giving the girl a rough poke in the ribs. She let out a surprised yelp and struck out at the guard, missing by centimeters.

"She's awake." Cough said after a bought of coughing laughter. _State the obvious_ the girl thought snidely. From the tension in the cart, it seemed as if the two men were about to resume their earlier actions before Sallu had stopped them. Saloria was about to get worried when the cart stopped after an almighty call went out for the caravan to halt.

"Damn!" Wheeze hissed, and the two resumed their positions at the other end of the cart, which wasn't much space since the cart was small, but enough to keep Saloria happy. Well, as happy as she could be in the situation.

"Ebeon, Gidra, get your sorry asses out here and report!" Nartes bellowed from outside the cart. Saloria listened to the two men's scrambling to comply and glared in their general direction.

"Sir!" the pair saluted once outside. "The girl is in good health and pouting, Sir!" Wheeze shouted.

"Stop your bellowing, idiot. Have you touched her at all?" Nartes asked coldly. There was a heavy silence before Cough stuttered a negative. Saloria could practically hear Nartes roll his eyes. "You're lying, you idiots. What did you do to her?"

"We just poked her awake, we swear upon the heart of our mothers!" Wheeze stammered. Saloria wished she could dispute that, but it was true; they hadn't actually touched her except for that poke, which she was sure left a bruise. Talking about bruises…she touched her face a bit, which was still tender from the slaps she'd received, and the back of her head. There was dried blood in her long hair. It was her own, but still, the memory of all that blood pouring over her from her father's cut throat… she ran her hands over her robes and felt all the blood on them, which was _not_ her own… Oh, _gods_…! She hadn't thought of it before, when she'd been talking to Enki, because of the pain in her skull, nor when her guards were threatening her, but now… The girl put her fist in her mouth to keep from screaming.

It was the sudden sound of a body slamming against wood and the rocking of the cart that snapped Saloria out of her panic. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the remainder of the fear. What was wrong with her? She kept changing her moods, the littlest things scared her and then suddenly, she was as strong and cold as a winter night in the desert. "What's happening to me?" she whispered. Another bang and a shout of pain broke the rest of her reverie.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH HER! For ANY reason except to keep her from ESCAPING! Not to WAKE her, not to FEED her! NOTHING!" Sallu screamed, and the awful sound of a fist hitting flesh went right to Saloria's stomach and she dry heaved. That's when she noticed she was hungry. _Ravenous_ in fact…

"Sire, we swear—" Wheeze started before another blow, this time to his chin from the sounds of it, silenced him.

"I care not for your excuses and your vows! _I_ told you to LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Saloria's stomach was twisting and grumbling, craving for any kind of sustenance. She stumbled to the door and climbed out, easy as could be. _Lucky for two doors_ she thought fleetingly, her hunger taking over her mind. She smelled food, the just-starting-to-cook stuff, and she wandered in that direction. The girl had never, _never_, in her life gone hungry. She'd always had plenty of food available to her. Now, as a captive, she was learning the meaning of hunger.

It was Anlu, in fact, that saved Saloria from walking right into the circle of men in order to fetch a meal. His cries from Saloria's left awoke her and she pushed her hunger aside with great effort and stumbled in his direction. _Good Anlu! I would never have found you if you hadn't made noise_. Saloria was happy he was still alive, but was not fond of the kind of noises he was making. He sounded like he was in so much pain and humiliation. Anlu sounded weak and in need of a loving hand.

Saloria followed his sniffling and crying, hiding under carts or behind the giant rocks that were scattered around whenever an adult came around. She was sure she was caught a few times, but always it was a false alarm. The girl was confused as to why she was having such an easy time getting to her destination without being detected, but put that aside to think about later; now she had to rescue Anlu, even if it was just from his nightmares.

She was close, she could tell. Being blind was good only for her hearing, she decided. Otherwise, it was a complete inconvenience. "Anlu?" she hissed, afraid to ruin her current good fortune (no thanks to the gods, she was sure), by speaking any louder. There was a halt in the sniffling, and then the boy cried harder. Now able to "see" exactly where he was, Saloria crawled to him, mixing the dried blood on her clothes with sand. The thought made her empty stomach lurch, but she ignored it in order to find her brother. When she thought she was close enough, she reached out her hand to feel around for Anlu; she felt his foot, so she latched onto it and crawled forward until she was close to him.

"Saloria? Gods, Saloria!" he sobbed quietly, grabbing her arms in a surprisingly strong grasp. "I thought I would die alone." He whispered. Saloria shushed him and stroked his short hair.

"What have they done to you?" Saloria moaned, trying not to touch him too much so she wouldn't hurt him. She knew that he was covered in bruises at the least, and she could smell his blood. Anlu instantly tensed up.

"Horrible things, Saloria-_nin._ Such evil deeds, that surely I must be cursed." The small boy whispered, the cry obvious in the choked way he said it. Saloria knew nothing of curses except that they were bad, so she could do nothing to ease her beloved brother's mind.

"Anlu, I'm so sorry." She whispered, bending down to kiss him. Her kiss landed on his nose. Anlu began to cry again, loudly. Saloria wanted to hush him, but she didn't have the heart to.

"Be _silent,_ boy, or you'll get worse than you've had!" a soldier bellowed from across the camp. Saloria could still hear her eldest brother bellowing at her guards. So they haven't noticed she's gone yet. Anlu instantly shut up, and Saloria could practically feel his fear.

"What did they do to you?" Saloria asked again when they'd been silent for a while just holding each other. She'd tried to get him to sit up, but he'd pushed her away as he held his breath so he wouldn't scream in agony, so she lay beside him and wrapped her small arms around his skinny body. His arms responded and he held her tightly, almost painfully so, but Saloria didn't complain; this was a good pain, a comfort-offering pain. She felt her brother shudder.

"They did things to me that I don't understand, but it hurt. It tore me in two the first time, and hurt worse every time after that. They each had a turn! All of them! If I struggled it hurt more and they'd hurt me on purpose. I was called a 'tight chick' and 'whore,' and Saloria, I don't know what they mean!" Anlu murmured, clutching at her more tightly. Saloria resisted the urge to ask him to let up and clutched him back. Instead she thought about killing every single one of those horrible men and dancing in their blood.

_What?!_ What was she thinking!

_They deserve it, though. They harmed your brother, and even if he wasn't your blood, they hurt a young boy. The audacity…_

Saloria shook her head. "I don't understand either, Anlu, but I plan on getting you out of here. Are you chained?" she asked. Anlu let out a small sob.

"No, but they don't need to. I cant move from the pain; my legs are useless. As you know, I can't even sit." Saloria practically saw red; her mind went dark with rage.

"I'll fetch you a horse then." She snarled. Anlu twitched in her arms.

"No…"

"If I don't get you out of here, you will die a horrible death." Saloria said bluntly, albeit quietly, and she knew she told the truth. "You have to deal with the pain. I'll help you up, carry you if I must." She said. Anlu tried to laugh but couldn't. the laughter had been beaten out of him.

"Like you could. You're so tiny, and a girl at that." He whispered. Saloria couldn't get mad at him for that comment.

"True, but I'll find a way, even if I have to make the horse get down on its knees so you can crawl." Saloria growled. "You _must_ get out of here. Tonight." He wouldn't survive another day of this kind of treatment. Why? Why couldn't she have been born with sight and more strength so she could help her loved ones?

"Just leave me, Saloria. I know they intend worse for you. I'm dead anyway." Anlu whispered into her neck. "Nothing can save me now." Tears pricked Saloria's eyes, and that irritated her more than anything else. Anlu was in trouble, and here she was, crying.

"I will not let you die like this." Saloria hissed, tempted to shake him to make him understand, but she didn't. "I'll be back, Brother." And she slipped away before he could tell her not to in order to find a horse. Luck was with her; there was one right around the corner, and after making sure no one was around, she went up to it and untied it. "Come with me, beauty…" she whispered, tickling the beast's nose. He huffed at her and followed gladly; the girl had always had an affinity with animals. "Anlu! Anlu, I have a horse!" she whispered happily, and there was a responsive grunt from her brother. She brought the horse as close as she dared and ordered him to stop.

"Anlu, I need you to bear the pain and get on, understand?"

"Yes." The boy gasped, and with an evident effort he dragged himself to the horse. Saloria commanded the beast to kneel so climbing on would be easier for the boy, and she helped boost him up. A sudden shout made Saloria jump in terror, and she tilted her head to hear better; she'd been found out.

"Run, Anlu!" Saloria hissed, clicking to the horse to stand.

"I wont leave without you!" Anlu snarled, but Saloria could feel his terror.

"You must; they wont kill me, but they will kill you. Run as far away as you can and hide, and never say your name to anyone!" she could hear the guards running toward them. "Now, go!" she stepped away from the horse, who stood, and slapped his rump; the horse whinnied and took off, Anlu crying out for her. Saloria closed her ears to him and bolted in the same direction, letting her senses take over as she tried to escape herself.

"That little whore!" she heard a guard bellow, and a similar cry was taken up by all those pursuing her. Fear choked her and made her mind swim. As soon as that happened, she tripped on a rock, bare feet getting torn and bruised in the process, but she refused to cry out. She was able to take a few stumbling steps forward before she was snatched up by iron-like arms and tossed over a shoulder.

"Let me free! Let me go!" she screamed. Angry muttering swarmed around her, and she almost let her fear take over her mind, but then she heard the sound of horses galloping away—in the direction of Anlu. "NO!!! No, leave him alone! Let the desert have him!" Saloria shrieked, thrashing and kicking and biting her captor with all her small might. "I'll kill you all!"

Her captor laughed and she discovered it was Yenla. A few moments later she was tossed onto the ground, where she lay, stunned. She smelled Sallu approaching and wanted dearly to bite him. Sallu approached quickly, knelt over her and slapped her sharply across the face.

"You _dare_ release my prisoner?!"

"He is your brother, you spineless jackal!" Saloria snarled back. Another slap made her ears ring and eyes ache.

"You are going to regret that dearly, little sister." Sallu hissed in her ear as he wound his fingers through her hair. Saloria's heart pounded and her breath caught.

"Do your worst; it cannot be worse than what you did to Anlu." Her voice cracked at the end of her sentence and she could practically feel Sallu smile evilly.

"Oh, I'm sure it can. But that will have to wait for once your sold, wont it? I can do everything else, though." With that, Sallu picked the girl up by her hair and dragged her toward the main campfire to carry out his threat.

* * *

AN: OK, that's going to be the end of Chapter 4, otherwise it'll never get posted. I am SO SORRY that it has taken me this long to update; I really meant to do it earlier, but real life caught up to me…sadly. I actually had to reread Acheron, not that I was bothered. So, yeah, I feel like a heel for this… I have all the ideas in my head, I just need to get them on…data. Lol. Anyway….

Yeah, I'm not going to explain what Sallu is going to do to Saloria; I'll let you use your own sadistic imagination for that. I'm sorry, I just don't like writing about children getting abused (why do I have the ideas to begin with, you ask? Well, I'll not answer that cause I don't know myself). But yeah, thank you those of you who reviewed and put me on alert; I know who you are, not off the top of my head… XD Keep up reviews; they're the fuel to feed my muses!!! Until the next chatper!

Lana ves


	6. Chapter 5: Sold

Saloria

An Eternal Soul Story

Chapter 5: Sold

Saloria listened dully as they traversed the seemingly endless expanse of desert that reached to the horizon. Every inch of her hurt, inside and out, emotionally, physically and mentally. There wasn't a way to move that relieved her pain, nor was holding still helping. Tears constantly bubbled up and ran down her bruised cheeks, burning her cuts with their saltiness. She was in her cart again, laying naked on the floor, staring out at the nothingness her eyes could see, hearing only the clomping of hooves and the breathing of men. She shivered at the word. _Men_. How she wished she would just die and never have to live the horror ever again.

Sallu kept his word; she regretted calling him a spineless jackal; she should have called him a spineless, shit eating worm that was not worth stealing the air other good people needed it to live. Same for all his followers. He wanted her to regret setting Anlu free, but if he had endured even a fraction of what she had, then no, she could not regret it, even if she was jealous he got away without her. At least, she _hoped_ he got away. Saloria didn't hear any news about him except for complaints that he wasn't there anymore, so she assumed he was free. She refused to think of the harsh conditions of the desert or the fact that he was horribly wounded. But Sallu's reasons… those still confused her. Her young mind could not wrap around his explanations.

The first contact she got with another person for a few days after being tossed carelessly back into her cart was the doctor, who cleaned her cuts and applied salves to her bruises in order to reduce any potential scarring. Once she was wrapped in bandages and forcibly fed some broth and warm milk, the doctor disappeared and since then, she had no visitors. A few days later, as she listened to the soldiers prepare for their night meal, Sallu had one of his fits while he was very obviously drunk.

"Why did you not stop me before she bled? What if I permanently damaged her? She would be worth only HALF of what we could get for her, and THEN where's your pay?" he screamed at Yenla, who endured a few blows. Sallu then began pounding on her cart door, making her curl up in the farthest corner. "Don't you dare scar, you whore! If you do, and I can't sell you for a divine sum, I'll beat you so that none can look upon you without shuddering with revulsion. I will use you until you beg to die!" he continued screaming threats and pounding on her door until he was pulled away by his guards and put to bed. Saloria stayed in her corner, shivering and covering her ears, but his threats rang in her ears, echoing until her mind shut down in order to keep her from panicking.

* * *

During the day, the sun beat down on her little cart and roasted her, and at night, it was so cold her shivers would rattle her teeth. After a while of such natural abuse, the girl couldn't feel the heat or cold, and she didn't even get hungry or thirsty. When guards would drop food into her cart, she wouldn't eat it. A fever eventually possessed the girl, and that is when the doctor returned. During her moments of lucidness, she heard Sallu bellowing at his followers for not taking better care of her, threatening her harm if she died. Saloria also heard the sound of her father's voice, lovingly telling her she had to keep going, and her brothers telling her not to be such a girl. She even heard the voice of a woman who tenderly whispered in her ear that everything was going to get better. Soon, Saloria couldn't tell what was reality or fever induced hallucinations. Time was lost to her, but her will to live returned.

* * *

Sallu fidgeted with the reins in his hands, greed-induced worry consuming his mind at the fact his little sister was sick. Things were going mostly according to plan, but her illness was not expected. The only good thing about it was it kept her from trying to escape again. If she died, or was permanently marred, there was no way he could pay off his foreign soldiers. The plan he had was to arrive in Assur, sell the girl, and return to Eridu as the last remaining prince, since they had been besieged by raiders in the desert. _Luckily_, Sallu had escaped with his life, and as the last remaining heir to the throne of Eridu, he, reluctantly, had to take over the crown.

A smile grew as he thought of the hero's welcome he would receive when he arrived back in Eridu. He would sell the brat in Assur, pretending to be a wealthy lord with a beautiful slave girl, then head back to Eridu for his rightful place. Were it not for the fact that he needed the money, Sallu would just use the girl until he tired of her and slit her throat to leave her for the desert. Saloria was beautiful already, even at such a young age. Sallu became hot just thinking of how beautiful she would be when she was fully grown…or, at least, a little older. He adjusted his seat on the saddle uncomfortably.

"We should be able to see the city within the hour," Yenla rumbled, breaking Sallu's thoughts. Sallu grunted and glanced at the hulking man beside him. The man had no scruples (or personal hygiene, but at this point of their journey, who did?) and was loyal to Sallu to a fault ever since the prince had saved the mercenary's neck from the chopping block a few years before.

"This is almost over," Sallu murmured, staring intently at the distant hills where Assur lay.

"Will she get well?" Yenla inquired. The prince growled.

"She'd better, or she is going to wish she died."

Yenla chuckled. "She is once fine piece of girl-flesh. Too bad we need the money more," the man pondered aloud. Sallu sucked in a breath and held it, trying to get his mind off his sister.

"Very true. Which is why we will get a high price for her. There is even a possibility we can sell her as the princess she is to get a fortune, depending on the crowd. A foreign dignitary or a heartless lord of Sumer will sell their own children to have a princess as their slave." Yenla grunted and fell back to check on the progress of their doctor with the girl. She was shivering and crying out for her father and the runaway brother—Anlu was it? Yenla grinned perversely at the memory of the boy's screams as he—

"Thoughts like those of a child should be eradicated," a smooth voice drawled from behind the mercenary, and he whirled around, dagger at ready. A tall, ridiculously beautiful man dressed in a silver robe that shone with an inner light stood calmly staring at the dagger at his throat. Yenla's heart constricted as he recognized who it was.

"Enki!" he gasped, dropping his dagger and falling from his horse to kneel at the god's feet. "Forgive me! I knew not who you were!"

"Oh, get off the ground you idiot," Enki growled impatiently. "There was no way you could hurt me with that toothpick, let alone kill me. If I was in a worse mood I might drown you in your own juices, but I am feeling downright gleeful over the turn of events."

Yenla glanced up at the god with confusion written on his face. Enki rolled his eyes. "You have the girl, you are going to enslave her, and she is in such pain, both mentally and physically, that she cannot function. The only direction her life is going to go is worse; it is a cause of celebration." The god walked to the cart and looked in, floating alongside it in an eerie way. Yenla jumped up to catch up to the cart.

"My Lord, why does this please you?" the mercenary asked. Enki eyed him for a moment then laughed bitterly.

"She did to my family what you did to hers." Yenla gaped in shock; so the rumors were true; the girl was a monster. He thought so himself when he looked into her pupil-less, mismatched eyes for the first time, despite (or because of) her ethereal beauty. But to think that a child could murder _gods_… "Not in this life, you fool. In another; it is her nature." The god stopped talking, and Yenla would not press a god. Enki sighed and pulled a vial filled with a blue liquid from his robe. "Give this to her when you arrive in the city. Her body will recover fully, without a trace of scar or bruise or fever to mar her. I will make sure she is sold for a godly sum of money to the worst possible master." A cruel smile curled Enki's lip and Yenla shivered. Gods of healing should not look like that.

"Thank you, my god," Yenla whispered, taking the vial and bowing.

"I have arranged accommodations for you in the city; you will know where to go. None shall recognize you, and the circle of auctioneers are all eager to buy a fallen princess to warm their beds, no matter the age."

"You are most kind, Lord Enki."

"Just make sure she suffers," Enki snarled, and with one last hateful glare at the cart where the young princess struggled to live, he melted into the air. Yenla stood very still for a long while, clutching the vial to him as if to protect it from harm. His face contorted with a sadistic smile.

"My pleasure."

* * *

When Saloria woke, she was wrapped securely in a blanket and clothed in silken clothing. She felt weak, barely able to raise her arms to feel around her. A water jar was sitting beside her head and she drank from it greedily. She sat up, and found she was sitting on a nest of cushions and blankets, and her heart leapt; was she home? Incense and perfumes stung her nose, typical smells in the palace. Rushing bodies outside whatever room she was in, rustling cloth from the wind playing with the curtains…all familiar sounds. Was the whole experience a nightmare? Her mind blanked for a moment as bad memories tried to consume her.

"Father?" Saloria called, her voice small and quivering. Where were her handmaidens? There was always someone hovering around her. "Anlu?"

"Awake, I see," sneered a voice that sent Saloria's heart skittering around her chest. Enki sat sprawled across from her on a brocaded couch, staring at the girl who looked perfectly recovered, thanks to his healing powers. Not a scratch, bruise, scar or fever; she even looked plumper than before, as if she'd been fed many good meals and not starved on army rations for almost a month, all thanks to his potion.

"Where am I?" Saloria shrilled, terror of not knowing where she was consuming her; she _hated_ not knowing where she was. Every time she fell asleep at the dining table at the palace, someone had to wake her so she could walk on her own to her room. The few times that her handmaidens had carried her to bed, she woke screaming in mindless terror and would only calm if her father came to reassure her.

"You are in Assur, waiting in your brother's room—"

"He is NOT my brother!"

"—as he arranges for your auction." Enki finished as if she'd never interrupted. He adjusted his silver robe around him more comfortably and smirked. Saloria huffed, trying to calm her mind so she could think; so it was not a nightmare. Sallu really had murdered her family and beaten her senseless. Well.

Enki was smiling cruelly at the confused child as she tried to figure out what was going on. He almost felt sorry for her, but she was the incarnation of the monster that slaughtered his family in her previous life; there was no room for pity. Though he desired to kill her slowly and painfully, if she died, then she would just come back and come after _him_. No matter how many times he killed her, she would always come back. So he would make her live as long as humanly possible, miserable throughout.

"Auction?" Saloria asked, breaking Enki's reverie. His smile widened, but she couldn't see that.

"Auction; where people bid higher prices for a thing to buy."

Saloria frowned in confusion; how could it be her auction? She had nothing to sell… the powerful voice murmured answers, but the girl refused to acknowledge them; they were too frightening.

"Oh, well, it looks like preparations are ready!" Enki gloated, and his presence disappeared, leaving Saloria alone to listen in childish terror as boots marched toward her room. Despite her weakness, Saloria jumped up and ran to the window, tripping over blankets and pillows the whole while. The window was enormous and decorated with bars and vines, with no easily discovered clasps to open. Saloria ran her hands over the sill as far as she could reach, but she was a small child. The girl quickly gave up and ran along the wall, keeping her hands upon it for any possible exits. She came upon a wardrobe and climbed in, slamming the door shut just as the one to her room burst open. She could smell Sallu and Yenla, followed by about five unidentified men.

"Saloria!" Sallu growled, and Saloria listened as he prowled the room, tossing apart the nest. "Get your useless self here, NOW before I lose my temper!" The girl shivered in her hiding place, hoping beyond hope he would go away. Things were happening too fast. A small sob escaped her, and silence outside reigned. Before Saloria knew what was happening, the door to her hiding place was torn open and she was dragged out. A shriek ripped from her throat and she struggled against Yenla's hold, his scent overwhelming her and she gagged at the musky smell he was emitting.

"He told you," Yenla chuckled, and her world upended when the brute tossed her onto the cushions. Her attempt to orient herself was foiled when she was picked up and put on her feet—Saloria's head was still spinning, and she had to kneel in order to keep from falling.

"She looks much better, doesn't she?" Sallu commented, grabbing her face and turning it so he could look at her. Saloria tried to bite his hand, but he pulled away on time. She felt the air move as if Sallu would strike her, but Yenla was in front of her before it struck.

"We are out of the god's brew, King. A blow to her face will just diminish her worth." Sallu was breathing heavily, and with a growl, he moved away. He returned moments later and sat in front of her.

"Sit in front of me, brat," Sallu snarled. Saloria, oriented once again, backed away, but Sallu's arm whipped out and latched onto her shoulder. With a tug, she was sitting in front of him, and his arms were around her. "Hold still!" the man bellowed as she struggled to get away. With a smack to the back of her head, Saloria was still enough for him to tie a scarf around her eyes. "Happy birthday, from your Anlu," Sallu chuckled in her ear, and she shivered, recognizing the smell and feel of the cloth covering her eyes. It was Anlu's birthday present to her. Tears fell freely, hidden by the scarf.

"It is time, my Lord," Yenla murmured, and Saloria was hauled up and away from her traitorous brother.

"Good, so they are assembled. Well, little sister, this is goodbye, then." Sallu's breath tickled her ear, making her skin crawl. "Suffer for me," he whispered, and with that, he was gone. Saloria's heart threatened to beat out of her chest, and then she was being dragged out of the room into a long hallway. Their footsteps echoed off the walls around them, and Saloria knew the place was enormous.

"Where are we going?" Saloria asked. A sharp tug on her arm made her wince. "Where are you taking me? Sallu? Father! Where are you taking me?"

"Shut _up_, girl!' Yenla growled from ahead of her.

"Tell me! Where are we going? Help! Help!" her voice rang wildly off the hall, but the men around her ignored her except to hush her or to yank at her. Saloria began to cry in earnest.

"Make her stop that! Her eyes will grow puffy and her nose will run!" Yenla snarled, and Saloria cried harder, the man holding her stopped moving, and so did she. She just stood there, her one arm trapped by his giant hand, her other rubbing at her nose as she cried her heart out.

"Papa _lugal_! Papa! Anlu!"

"what do we do?"

She heard Yenla stomp toward her, but didn't respond, not even when he grasped her shoulders and shook her. Saloria only cried harder.

"Give her some of your herb! The one that makes you happy!"

"No, that's mine! It's expensive!"

"Well, if we don't do something, you wont get paid to buy more!" a scuffle, then an angry, "Fine!" A bitter smelling herb was shoved under her nose, and Saloria retched, pulling away, tears gone. Instead, the burning anger returned and she struck out, small hands held out like claws. She struck a hand, and the leaves went flying. That powerful force inside her welled up, and she felt enlivened.

"Do not put that near me," she growled, her voice impossibly deep for someone her age. She could smell their fear, feel their shaking. Then Yenla laughed.

"She is merely using her magic to scare you. Now that she's no longer crying, let's go. Come _on, _you useless female."

The power was gone, leaving Saloria to shiver alone with her captors. She was done crying, though; no one was going to save her, not even her god.

* * *

The stench of at least a half-dozen men doused in perfumes and scents threatened to gag Saloria as she entered a circular room with fabrics draped from the ceiling to the floor. The men sat on cushions around short tables where they sipped at wine or tea. Smoke of the herb the guards had tried to give her earlier wafted through the room, making Saloria's head spin. Their conversations were loud and boisterous on topics that Saloria's child mind could not decipher any meaning. As she stumbled into the room, silence reigned.

"I present to you Saloria, Princess of Eridu and daughter of the Late King Salgalu." Sallu's voice announced from the other side of the room. Surprised murmurs from the gathered erupted, and Sallu waited for silence before continuing. "I found her in the desert, scared amongst the dead of her entourage, her blindness her impending death. I saw her, and knew she was a prize beyond measure." There were a few dark chuckles that made the girl's skin crawl. Yenla dragged her up a set of steps and set her on a platform. Then he was gone, and she was alone in the center of a room of—hungry—men. "Saloria, turn around slowly so the lords can see you," Sallu laughed. She stood shivering, and did not move. Grumbles started. "Saloria!" Her brother's bark made her jump, and she obeyed and turned slowly, hands clutching her arms. She could hear murmurs of admiration and the musky smell intensified.

"Why does she wear the scarf?" a man behind her inquired.

"An accident after birth led to her blindness." Mutters erupted, but Sallu was smart. "She cannot flee, and is dependent on whoever is her guardian." This calmed the storm. "Bids? Any bids?"

"What is her age?"

"Freshly five years old. Quite a bargain, really. She is malleable. You can make her into whatever you want, be it concubine or prostitute, thief or assassin. She is fierce, I tell you. Even at such a young age, she has a lot of fight in her. All the better to tame, yes?" More disgusting chuckles. Saloria halted her turning so she faced Sallu's direction and glared with all her might.

"Five hundred gold," an extremely old sounding man growled to her left. Saloria could hear Sallu gritting his teeth.

"You insult me," Sallu murmured. "No less than a thousand."

"Deal."

"Come now, you can do better than that! Look at her!" Sallu approached her and tore off the scarf, revealing her demi-god like face to the audience, who audibly gasped. "How can you resist such a fine female? Even if she is too young for your tastes, she will make a rival of the Greek Aphrodite when she is grown! See this body?" He grabbed her hair and used it to keep her still as he removed her clothes. Saloria cried out and fought, but she was too weak to do much more than hinder him. The auctioneers buzzed in conversation that Saloria had no understanding of. The temperature went up in the room and she could feel their eyes raking her. "Imagine her grown to a woman, men."

"Two thousand!"

"I'll up it to 3 thousand!"

"Five! I offer five!"

On and on the numbers increased, some by a little, most by a lot. Every man in the hall gave a price, and most gave another. But in the end, the price was being determined by only two men, and the numbers were startlingly high. One sounded rough, like an aged general who had fought a lot of battles. The other was silky in a disturbing way. Saloria was more afraid of that silky voice than the rough one; Father had a rough voice, not that she could compare any of these men to Father. Tears threatened to spill, but the girl was done with that.

"One hundred thousand, final offer, cash now," the rough voice bellowed, and the gathering either cheered or booed uproariously. Saloria and Sallu waited to see if the silky voiced man would outbid, but he merely gnashed his teeth and glared. While not quite relieved, Saloria did not shiver in abject terror anymore. Sallu laughed almost shrilly; Saloria could tell he was getting more than he thought he would, even for a princess. She didn't understand the words of the amount; after all, she could only count to one thousand, but she did know it was huge.

"Well, my good Commander of the Guard, I do believe we have business to discuss," Sallu practically gushed. He shoved Saloria at Yenla, who was suddenly there, and led the way to a back room. Saloria gagged at the scent of so much perfume, and it made her head spin. She was unceremoniously dropped onto a cushion. Her single attempt of escape was thwarted when Yenla grabbed her ankle and dragged her back. He sat next to her, one hand on her foot.

"I would appreciate if you would not harm my prize," the Commander rumbled, and Yenla tensed but removed his hand.

"Commander Gristan, my humblest greetings. I thank you for your patronage." Sallu's voice had reverted to its court-refined tones. He sounded like a prince again.

"A small price to pay for one such as she." Saloria felt eyes burn along her skin; she was still nude, a state that had never bothered her before now.

"As I warned before, she has spirit. She helped my other slave escape to the desert to avoid his fate, and fought the entire way here. Her blindness hinders her, but does not incapacitate. I have not been able to break her."

"And I would not have bought her if you had. I break my own horses, Prince Sallu." Yenla and Sallu jumped up at the Commanders words, hands on their weapons. Gristan laughed darkly. "Yes, I know who you are. To think you'd sell out your own sister to hungry wolves; shame on you, but a good day for me. My tastes are rarely able to be satisfied, what with my wife guarding the house like a dog." He picked up a glass and poured some wine. "Worry not, I am the only one who knows, and I like my secrets; your ascension to the throne will not be hindered by me."

Slowly, Saloria's captors relaxed back into their seats. "That is good to hear," Sallu murmured.

"One hundred thousand gold is what I owe you, yes?" the Commander said flippantly. "First, though, let me inspect her; I do not want damaged goods." Sallu had the presence of mind not to object, but Saloria did, strongly.

"Do not _touch_ me," she snarled, jumping up and avoiding hands that grabbed for her. Foreign hands wrapped around her torso, and she struggled violently, hitting, scratching, and kicking anything she could reach.

"I believe you, Sallu, she is quite the wild thing," the Commander laughed, his hands tightening around her so she could barely breathe. He was a giant of a man; his hands could easily reach around her small body. Her fists ineffectually struck out at his muscle-bound arms, and then he shook her, rattling her brains and cracking her spine. She froze, dizzy.

Saloria was set upon a pair of knees that were more like pillars to her and those calloused hands were running over her, checking her limbs for breaks, her skin for scars or blemishes. Every surface was touched, and the tears came back with vengeance at the shame of it; never had touch bothered her so. It was when his fingers probed between her legs that she let out an almighty shriek and fought harder than ever. Father had always said to never, _never_ let anyone touch her there, not even him, and if someone did, she was to report it immediately so the person could be executed in a horrible way. But Father wasn't there to execute this commander, and Sallu only laughed. Her sobs were more than just a fearful child's; it was as if the spirit of femininity was crying with her in outrage at this _man's_ defilement.

"Sallu, _Sallu_! Please, stop him! Please, Brother!" The Commander chuckled and lifted her by a foot, dangling her upside-down.

"He won't do anything for you, Princess. You're mine now. Where are her things?" The Commander barked, placing her almost gently down on the cushion beside him. He kept a hand resting on the back of her neck to keep her still, but she was beyond fighting. Saloria was shocked into a stupor, the words being said barely understandable. She shuddered uncontrollably and locked her knees together as tightly as she could.

"They are packed away in a trunk; I shall have a man deliver it to your apartment—"

"No, she is not going there. I have a special house where all my…slaves… stay. My servant will take her and her accessories there once he delivers your gold." The Commander stood, leaving the shivering girl on the floor. "Be sure none touch her except you, and if you do anything to her, I will have you gutted in front of the entire court after I flog you to a breath of your life." Sallu gulped but took the Commander's hand and they shook. "May your reign as king be pleasant, Prince Sallu. Farewell." The Commander swept out, leaving the siblings and Yenla alone.

"100,000 gold, Yenla! That is a king's ransom! I could build a new palace and buy a hundred slaves with that!" Sallu hissed. "Sister, you are finally proving useful. Too bad you will not enjoy your new existence." Saloria did not respond; she barely heard him. She just huddled on her cushion and tried not to think, but she could still feel his hands… "Still, I wonder at the price."

"I shall clothe her, my King," Yenla murmured. Sallu waved him away, and Yenla fetched her trunk of clothes and toys.

"While I am more than happy at the amount, the fact that she was able to be sold for such a hefty sum is…astounding to say the least."

Yenla was careful dressing her, bending her wooden arms and legs to get them in her tunics and trouser-skirts, never letting his touch linger. He even put on slippers and tied her scarf around her eyes. The feel of silk against her skin brought her back as relief from being clothed again washed through her. Saloria's shuddering eased so she merely shivered. She docilely obeyed the command to stand and be led away to another room that was fresh compared to that room full of strong perfumes.

Yenla talked to her as they walked, but Saloria ignored him, concentrating on keeping herself upright. "Too bad you're going so far away. I would have liked to get a taste of you before you left, but 'tis the way things are."

Saloria's head whipped up at Yenla's words. "What? I'm going away?" Her voice was shrill and terror overtook her. "Where am I going?"

"Didn't you know? Commander Gristan is from Atlantis; he is only here for political reasons, and will be leaving shortly, you with him, I expect. He rarely comes to Sumer. Lucky him, eh?"

"I'm going away? To Atlantis!" Dread tore through her; she did not want to go away. Sumer was all she knew! Father had shown her a map of the known world, and Atlantis had been so far away, almost 3 finger-lengths! If the journey to Assur had taken so long, only a couple finger widths, how long would a journey that far take?

"That's what I said, girl. Now hush." They reached their destination, wherever that may be, and Saloria was hustled into the room. "Don't try to leave. I'll be standing here until the Commander's man gets here with the gold."

Saloria found a cushion on the far side of the room and sat, glaring at nothing. She wanted to refuse to sleep, to antagonize Yenla until he did something to her that would make Gristan refuse her…whatever that may be. But she was afraid, very afraid. She fretted and worried, but it got her nowhere, so she closed her mind to her thoughts and tried to meditate like Father taught her.

Soon she calmed enough to relax, and with that her senses peaked. Her ears picked up the heavy breathing of Yenla, and after a few more moments, she could hear his pulse as well, and the sounds of servants rushing to-and-froe both above and below her. Water from the fountains splashed against marble, men laughed, women giggled, one moaned, horses snorted and stomped, flies buzzed, the wind blew through the gardens and picked up sand… her clothes rustled with her breathing, brushing her skin gently, not like that Gristan man's hands, and the cushion beneath her was taking her warmth and giving it back, comforting her. Everything moved and lived and breathed around her, like it did back home, and she fooled herself into a calm state that eventually let her sleep.

**AN; I am SO sorry it has taken me this long to update! I really did not plan on being this kind of fan-fic writer... but real life caught up to me and has me in its vile clutches.**

**Just so you know, i hate, loathe, despise child pornography, so there will be none of that. Sadly, i must put Saloria through it, but I will not put you through it. Forgive me as I cannot forgive myself if anything offends you.. just know it offends me as well. and I am working on the next chapter.. it just might take a while. and sorry for any typos; i didnt' have anyone proof it, so it's probably sloppy. As always, reviews help fuel the muses, so please review! Thank you!  
**


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